Veronika Kudermetova to remove Russian sponsor logo, set to play in Wimbledon

Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova said she will remove the logo of Russian sponsor Tatneft from her kit so she can compete at Wimbledon this year.

Wimbledon banned Russian and Belarusian players in 2022 over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine but said in March it would accept them as neutral athletes for this year’s championships.

Tournament organisers have said players would be prohibited from expressing support for the invasion, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”, and must not receive funding from the Russian or Belarusian states.

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Kudermetova’s sponsor Tatneft is an oil and gas company.

“I think for Wimbledon, it’s not allowed to play with the badge from Russia, I know that,” Kudermetova told reporters at the Madrid Open on Monday.

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Kudermetova, who will face Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals in Madrid, is among several Russian and Belarusian players who have already signed personal declarations that will clear them to compete as neutrals at Wimbledon.

“If I would like to play Wimbledon, I need to take the badge off,” she added.

While there is a ban on the players from Russia and Belarus from competing at tennis events they can still participate under a neutral flag. However, with little over a year before the Olympics, players from both nations will have to wait for a judgment. As things stand, they are unlikely to make the Olympics in Paris while a decision is pending.

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