Int'l Tennis Federation responds to Azerbaijan's letter about Armenian-origin athlete's provocation

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has accepted and handed over to the organizers of the Australian Open (Australian Open) the protest of the Azerbaijan Tennis Federation (ATF) in connection with the provocation of the Russian athlete of Armenian origin Karen Khachanov.

ITF said in a letter to ATF that the rules of conduct for players at Grand Slam tournaments are governed by the relevant Code, which is monitored by the relevant tournament organizer and regulatory body, Report informs.

"They are the competent authorities to investigate any activity that may be considered a violation of the Grand Slam Code of Conduct, and any follow-up plan will be carried out in accordance with the procedures set out in this Code," the letter said.

ATF said that although the ITF takes into account any provocations that may occur in the future, serious concerns over inaction in connection with Khachanov's previous actions are still in place.

It should be noted that after the matches of the third and fourth rounds of the Australian Open, the Russian athlete of Armenian origin Karen Khachanov made provocative statements supporting separatism in the Azerbaijani lands. In the competition, along with the flag of Armenia, the flag of the separatist regime was also unfurled at the competition.

In this regard, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Youth and Sports, together with the ATF, has sent a letter of protest to the relevant institutions.