Russian, Belarusian players to be in US Open

Washington: Tennis players from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to participate in the 2022 US Open tournament under a neutral flag, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The USTA will allow individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in the 2022 US Open, but only under a neutral flag,” the statement said. “USTA, which owns and operates the US Open, has previously condemned, and continues to condemn, the unprovoked and unjust invasion of Ukraine by Russia.”
Although the USTA supported the banning of Russian and Belarusian athletes from global team competitions by the International Tennis Federation, the association will allow all eligible players to compete regardless of nationality based on its own circumstances, the statement said.
The USTA will also work with players to use the US Open as a platform to further the humanitarian work of the “Tennis Plays for Peace” program, which supports relief efforts in Ukraine, as well as introduce a broad set of initiatives to amplify other Ukrainian humanitarian efforts, the statement added. (UNI/Sputnik)

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