US Open to allow Russian and Belarusian tennis players to compete under a neutral flag

The US Open will allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete at this year's event, tournament organizers the United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced on Tuesday. The USTA has taken an opposing stance to Wimbledon, where Russian and Belarusian players will be barred from competing this year.

The All England Club (AEC) announced the decision to ban players from the two countries for Wimbledon this year, in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While the USTA did not follow suit, they did clarify that players from Russia and Belarus will only be allowed to play under a neutral flag.

"The USTA will allow individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in the 2022 US Open, but only under a neutral flag," read a statement from the USTA.

"Alongside the other Grand Slams, the ITF, the ATP and the WTA, the USTA, which owns and operates the US Open, has previously condemned, and continues to condemn, the unprovoked and unjust invasion of Ukraine by Russia," it said further.

The organizers further admitted that while they understand the decisions of other organizations to ban Russian and Belarusian players from tournaments, such as Wimbledon, they will allow participation regardless of nationality.

"We recognize that each organization has had to deal with unique circumstances that affect their decisions. Based on our own circumstances, the USTA will allow all eligible players, regardless of nationality, to compete at the 2022 US Open," said the USTA.

Other tournaments in the build-up to the US Open, including the Citi Open in Washington D.C. and the Cincinnati Masters, are also likely to allow players from the two countries to compete.

Shortly after the war began in Ukraine, the ATP, WTA, ITF and the four Grand Slams jointly decided to ban the Russian and Belarusian tennis federations from the ITF and from international tennis competitions. At the same time, they allowed individual players from those countries to continue participating in tournaments under a neutral flag.

Daniil Medvedev will be able to defend his US Open title

2021 US Open - Day 14

The USTA's decision to allow Russian and Belarusians to play this year means that World No. 1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev will be able to return to the US Major.

Last year, the Russian player won his maiden Grand Slam title by defeating Novak Djokovic in the final in New York. Medvedev won the final 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, halting the Serb's bid for a Calendar Grand Slam.

Medvedev is expected to carry the World No. 1 spot into the US hardcourt swing despite missing Wimbledon, as the ATP stripped ranking points from Wimbledon in light of their decision to ban players.

Medvedev has a lot of points to defend during the summer hardcourt season. Apart from winning his first Major title, he also won the Canadian Open and made the semifinals at the Cincinnati Masters.

Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, and Aslan Karatsev are among the male players who will miss Wimbledon. On the women's side, Aryna Sabalenka, Victoria Azarenka, Daria Kasatkina, and Aliaksandra Sasnovich are among those who will have to skip the event.