ITF says Belarus remains suspended from Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup

LONDON: The International Tennis Federation said on Friday that Belarus will remain suspended from the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup despite the International Olympic Committee's decision to remove restrictions on Belarusian athletes.

In a statement sent to AFP, the sport's governing body said the IOC move did not alter its current position on the Belarus and Russian tennis federations. "The International Tennis Federation confirms that the IOC's announcement does not change its existing position regarding the Belarus and Russian Tennis Federations' suspensions, which remain in place," the statement read.

The ITF said athletes from Russia and Belarus had been barred from international competition after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, though some competitors were later allowed to take part as neutrals. Restrictions on Russian athletes remain in force under IOC rules.

The federation also said the matter of Belarus's status would come up again later this year. "The membership status of the Belarus Tennis Federation will be considered at the ITF Annual General Meeting in October by the ITF's voting member nations in accordance with ITF constitutional process."

The ITF is responsible for leading major international team events including the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup. It also runs Olympic tennis in partnership with the IOC.

The participation of Russian and Belarusian players on the professional circuit is decided separately by the ATP, the WTA and the organisers of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

Sabalenka says representing Belarus would mean a lot

World number one Aryna Sabalenka said on Thursday that she hoped to compete again under the Belarusian flag. "For me representing such a small country, and the hard work that I had to do to get to the top, it's just like, guys, it's incredible, it's a small country, and to make it all the way here, it means a lot to me, I would be super proud to represent Belarus."

Her comments came a day before the ITF reiterated that the suspension of the Belarus Tennis Federation remains in place.

The latest position means Belarus continues to be excluded from the ITF's team competitions for now, while a formal review of its membership status is scheduled for the federation's annual general meeting in October.

The ITF statement also made clear that the IOC's latest announcement does not automatically change the rules governing tennis team events, where the federation maintains its own position on the suspended national bodies.