IT was an issue which dominated the run-up to many sports tournaments in 2022, and it has now cost the Lawn Tennis Association well over a million pounds.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine back in February led to many sports implementing a ban on people from Russia and Belarus from competing in their tournaments.

The LTA was no exception, but the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) have come down hard on them.

It has been fined over £300,000 by the ATP and the WTA for their failure to allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete at last summer’s Ilkley Trophy.

The combined fines are £328,000 but it gets worse for the LTA when you consider that Britain’s governing body has also been fined identical amounts of £164,000 by both global bodies for not allowing players from those two countries to compete at Queen’s, Eastbourne, Nottingham and Surbiton in May and June too.

All told, this adds up to an eye-watering total fine of £1,650,000.

Among the Russians wanting to compete at Ilkley this year were former women’s champion Evgeniya Rodina.

The bans on players from Russia and Belarus at those summer tennis tournaments were backed by the UK Government, but the LTA has now been warned that their membership of the ATP and WTA will be at risk if it continues the sanctions in 2023.

The LTA has issued a statement, saying: “The LTA is deeply disappointed with this outcome.

“The ATP, in its finding, has shown no recognition of the exceptional circumstances created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, or the international sporting community and UK Government’s response to that invasion.

“The ATP appear to regard this matter as a straightforward breach of their rules – with a surprising lack of empathy shown for the situation in Ukraine, and a clear lack of understanding of the unique circumstances the LTA faced.”

They added: “The financial impact of both this fine and the WTA’s fine will have a material impact on the LTA’s ability to develop and host tennis in this country.”

Michelle Donelan, secretary of state for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), said on behalf of the Government: “This is the wrong move by the ATP and WTA.

“I urge them to think carefully about the message this sends, and to reconsider.”