Retaliation by Russian hackers for player ban is the latest concern for Wimbledon: Report

This year's Wimbledon is shaping up to be a turbulent affair. As reported by The Times, tournament organizers are worried about possible retaliation from Russian hackers following the All England Club's ban on Russian and Belarusian players..

The tournament's security chiefs have reportedly been told to stay on guard for cyberattacks. When Russian athletes were banned in 2016 for state-sponsored doping, hackers from the country responded by targeting various sports organizations. It's rumored that something similar might occur this time as well.

IBM, which is responsible for safeguarding the computer systems, is fairly confident of thwarting any such attacks.

The tournament's decision to bar Russian and Belarusian players has invited mixed reactions from the tennis fraternity, with people praising and deriding it in equal measure.

The ATP and WTA tours aren't in favor of the ban and stated that no ranking points shall be awarded for this year's grasscourt Grand Slam.

Quite a few players were initially hesitant to travel to London for the grasscourt Major, but the tournament organizers have found a way to make sure that most of the players will turn up.

Wimbledon announces record £40.35 million in prize money for the 2022 edition

Novak Djokovic at the 2021 Wimbledon.

Wimbledon organizers announced a significant increase in prize money this year, upping the total to £40.35 million.

The singles' champions will earn £2 million each, a 17.6% increase from last year's payout and players who lose in the first round will end up with £50,000.

Many see this as a move to ensure players' participation in this year's Championships. The financial incentive might entice those who are on the fence about competing, while motivating others to perform better to get a larger slice of the record prize money.

The tournament is set to be held from June 27 to July 10. In the men's singles, Novak Djokovic is the three-time defending champion. He defeated Matteo Berrettini in the final last year to win his 20th Grand Slam title and his sixth at the venue.

Ashleigh Barty was the victor in the women's singles, claiming her second Grand Slam title by defeating former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in the final. However, she won't be returning to defend her crown as she retired earlier this year.