Tennis, Internazionali Bnl di Roma: because there will be Russians and Belarusians
Novak Djokovic will be there. Russian and Belarusian tennis players, for the moment, too. The Masters 1000 Internazionali Bnl d’Italia scheduled in Rome from 2 to 15 May is always at the center of controversy. A because vaccinated year to monopolize the beginning was the possible exclusion of King Nole, just kicked out of the Australian Open because he was not vaccinated: Djokovic will be regularly on the draw in Rome. Now, after Wimbledon has ruled out Russian and Belarusian tennis players as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, what will happen in Rome?
Wimbledon decided to kill Russians and Belarusians and was able to do so because it is a private club, keeper and organizer of the event.
On February 28, the IOC, the International Olympic Committee, after having decided to ban Russian athletes, sent a letter to the international federations admitting derogations and specifying that, “in the event that the ban is not possible for organizational reasons or legal and official competition of Russia, Belarus were to be athletes as neutral: without national symbols, colors, flags or anthems.
What will Roma do? Who decides?
Rome operates under the aegis of ATP and WTA, owners of the events and therefore competent sporting authorities on the Masters. Not, therefore, the ITF, the world tennis federation, an institution to which Wimbledon relates and which in any case in minor competitions shares with the ATP and WTA the choice of exemptions in favor of the players. ITF, ATP and WTA jointly and clearly expressed their desire to admit Belarusian titles to their competitions and Russian titles, albeit individually.
Since 2007, Federtennis – like all the other tournament organizers of the ATP Tour – must comply with “the provisions laid down in the ATP Official Rulebook”, which, in art. 1.06 reads: “The ATP Tour and the ATP Challenger Tour are subject to the jurisdiction of the ATP and must respect, be bound and conduct the tournament in accordance with the ATP rules and regulations. Not only that: according to art. 8.01.B, “Each tournament undertakes to accept the registrations of tennis players on the basis of the ATP rankings of the singles and the ATP rankings of the doubles”. In short: the Federation does not decide on the Masters 1000 but the ATP.
Game closed, then? Will we see Russians and Belarusians at the Foro Italico, but without flags? Not exactly. There remains the possibility of a government decision. Politics, as it was for Djokovic at the Australian Open, on another subject. If the government forbids entry to Russian and Belarusian athletes, Federtennis will have to acknowledge this and surrender, motivating the exclusion of the ATP and WTA as well. A political choice that does not seem on the agenda at the moment.