MOSCOW, Mar 1. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has suspended the membership of the Russian Tennis Federation and the Belarusian Tennis Federation and canceled all tournaments in these countries under the auspices of the organization against the backdrop of the situation in Ukraine, according to the ITF website. In addition, Russian and Belarusian tennis players will not be able to participate in team competitions under the auspices of the ITF, and the federations of these countries will not be able to vote at the annual ITF congress. The sanctions will be in effect throughout 2022 and may be extended. It is noted that tennis players from Russia and Belarus can participate in tournaments individually. Thus, Russian and Belarusian teams will not be able to take part in the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup. The Russian men's and women's teams are the current winners of these tournaments. The Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday recommended that sports federations not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete. The IOC added that athletes and teams from Russia and Belarus can only participate as neutral athletes.
