Tennis Australia says it has advised its players against competing in Russia following reports that Davis Cup team member Thanasi Kokkinakis featured in an exhibition event in St. Petersburg nearly two months ago.
It was reportedly sponsored by state-owned Russian gas and oil giant Gazprom, which has been the subject of financial sanctions imposed by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade since April 2022 soon after Russia invaded Ukraine.
The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported Friday that Kokkinakis defied advice from Tennis Australia not to play in the Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 exhibition.
While men’s and women’s players are permitted to play on the ATP and WTA tours and Grand Slam events, they can only do so as neutral athletes and not under the flags of Russia or Belarus.
Professional tennis players from Russia and Belarus were banned from Wimbledon in 2022 as the nations continued their invasion of Ukraine.
