The Great Britain Tennis Association (LTA) has received a financial offer from the WTA to lift the ban on female athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in grass-court tournaments until Wimbledon 2023.

WTA offers money to British Tennis Federation to lift bans on players from Russia and Belarus in 2023

According to express.co.uk, the WTA has offered £415,000 (about $500,000) for the LTA to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to play in grass-court tournaments to be held in the UK before Wimbledon 2023.

The WTA has also offered to halve the £830,000 fine the LTA received for barring tennis players from Russia and Belarus from last year’s Wimbledon.

The WTA is asking the LTA (Great Britain Tennis Federation) and the All England Club to agree with the UK government that athletes from Russia and Belarus will no longer be banned from competing in the Kingdom, including Wimbledon 2023.

The WTA wants the first step to accept players from Russia and Belarus in tournaments such as Nottingham and Birmingham (WTA 250 category) and Eastbourne (WTA 500).

Representatives of the All England Club (the private club that owns the complex that hosts the only Grand Slam tournament on Wimbledon grass) accused the British government of not allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to the 2022 Grand Slam.

The British press also highlights a very important aspect: the pressure from the WTA and ATP will increase, and it may even go as far as losing the licenses of the grass tournaments that take place in the UK every year before Wimbledon, if the ban mentioned above remains in force this year .

Wimbledon-2023 will be held from July 3 to 16 in the All England Club complex.