Australia will not remove Russian and Belarusian tennis players from the Australian Open tournament, the Australian Tennis Federation said.
“Players from Russia and Belarus can only participate in international tennis tournaments individually – and without flags or country recognition – which will be the case at the Australian Open 2023. Tennis Australia continues to support Ukraine and its community and players, in in particular as part of the global Tennis Plays for Peace initiative, which includes a charity event ahead of the Australian Open,” the Australian Tennis Federation said.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia Vasily Miroshnichenko called on the organization to follow Wimbledon's lead and ban Russian and Belarusian players amid the war in Ukraine:
"I will seek a meeting with the Chairman and CEO of Tennis Australia to set out my government's position and understand why Tennis Australia has not followed Wimbledon's lead," Miroshnichenko said.