US Open lets Russian tennis players in after Wimbledon ban

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

The U.S. Open will allow tennis players from Russia and Belarus to compete this year despite the ongoing war in Ukraine. That war prompted Wimbledon to ban those athletes. U.S. Tennis Association CEO and Executive Director Lew Sherr tells The Associated Press that the USTA Board decided to let Russians and Belarusians enter the tournament because of “concern about holding the individual athletes accountable for the actions and decisions of their governments.” Sherr said athletes from Russia and Belarus will play at Flushing Meadows under a neutral flag. The U.S. Open starts on Aug. 29.