The WTA has officially declared that individuals partaking in the forthcoming exhibition event in Russia this weekend will not incur any penalties, despite the absence of endorsement from the organization. The Northern Palmyra Trophies tournament, comprising of players from both the WTA and the men’s ATP Tour, is scheduled to transpire in St. Petersburg from December 1-3. This event, financially backed by Russian energy behemoth Gazprom, coincides with the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The WTA explicitly conveyed to Reuters that the event is not sanctioned by the organization, and their non-endorsement underscores the autonomous status of WTA Tour players. Despite this assertion, players are granted authorization to take part in this non-competitive exhibition without any repercussions. Noteworthy participants include former French and U.S. Open quarter-finalist Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, Russian world number 28 Anastasia Potapova, and former Roland Garros quarter-finalist Veronika Kudermetova, also hailing from Russia. ATP players such as Russia’s world number 15 Karen Khachanov, Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, and France’s Adrian Mannarino are also slated to join the event. It is significant to note that individuals of Russian and Belarusian nationality were barred from Wimbledon in 2022, resulting in the event losing its ranking points for that year. Nevertheless, they were permitted to return as unaligned participants in the subsequent year. These developments unfold in the shadow of the harrowing impact of the conflict in Ukraine, with the U.N. Human Rights Office reporting over 10,000 civilian casualties since Russia’s incursion in February 2022.
Players to Compete in Russian Exhibition Event Despite WTA’s Non-Endorsement
