Russian Tennis Federation
The Russian Tennis Federation (RTF) (, initialism: ФТР, "FTR") is the national governing body of tennis in Russia. It is the legal successor of the All-Russia Tennis Association (1989–2001) and the Tennis Federation of the USSR (1956–93). After the dissolution of the All-Russia Tennis Association in 2001, it was organized and registered as the supreme governing body of tennis sport in Russia in 2002. However, the RTF is also listed as the successor to the All-Russia Union of Lawn Tennis Clubs (ARULTC or ) established in June 1908. Since 1913, the ARULTC has been one of  the founders of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and its member (except 1918—1955; suspended in 2022). Since 1977, though suspended in 2022, the RTF has been a member of the European Tennis Association (Tennis Europe). The (NTC) bears the name of Juan Antonio Samaranch. In reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ITF suspended the Russian Tennis Federation. (successor — to the Tennis Federation of the RSFSR since 1990, to the Tennis Federation of the USSR since 1993) (consists of more than 70 regional federations) Tennis in Russia. Despite his Scottish surname and ancestry, Arthur Davidovich McPherson (1870–1919) was  a native of Petersburg and lived his entire life in Russia. He was the founder and president of the first All-Russia Union of Lawn Tennis Clubs, the forerunner of today's Russian Tennis Federation, and also helped establish the country's first Olympic Committee. In 1903 he organized the first St. Petersburg tennis championship, and four years later he set up the first national tournament. By 1913 the Russian championship was on the international tour and the game was thriving. In 1956, the Tennis Federation of the USSR was founded and joined the International Tennis Federation. According to sports  journalist Anna Dmitrieva, the return was lobbied by the famous Wimbledon champion Fred Perry. In 2020, Dmitrieva remembered: "Like every talented person, he [Fred Perry] wanted to discover something new. The Soviet Union was a big country of significant importance in other sports while the local tennis stayed apart from all the international competitions". During the Soviet era, tennis was on the edge of survival as both non-Olympic and expensive sport strongly associated with the local royal dynasty (Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov). As a result, there was a critically low level of financial and PR-related support from the Communist  state for the sport of tennis. The situation has improved after 1988, when tennis was made an Olympic sport again, largely thanks to the efforts of the IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch. Moreover, from 1974, for a whole decade Soviet tennis players were forced by the Tennis Federation of the USSR to boycott all the international competitions, except for the Davis Cup, in an unsuccessful attempt of the regime to influence apartheid in South Africa. Since the end of the Soviet era, tennis has grown in popularity and Russia has produced a number of successful tennis players. In the 2000s , both Maria Sharapova and Dinara Safina reached number one in the WTA rankings. Other Russian women to achieve international success include Anna Chakvetadze, Elena Dementieva, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Myskina, Nadia Petrova, Vera Zvonareva and Anna Kournikova. The Russian Federation won the Fed Cup 4 times, in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. In 2004, 80 percent of their surnames had been advised to be pronounced incorrectly by the official WTA guide. In reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ITF suspended the Russian Tennis Federation. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) moved the 2022 St. Petersburg Open from Saint  Petersburg to Kazakhstan. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) cancelled all events in Russia. The ITF also excluded Russia from international team events, which include the Davis Cup, the Billie Jean King Cup, and the ATP Cup. However, the ATP and the WTA refused to yield to international pressure to ban individual players from competition. Russian players will carry on, but not play under the Russian national flag. In April 2022, Wimbledon announced the ban of Russian and Belarusian players from 2022 Wimbledon Championship because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Performance. According to 2011 WTA and ATP rankings; 4 Russian  women and 3 Russian men were in the top 50 players of the world. As Russia is regarded as Europe's Eastern and Northern periphery, the association was honored with the highest award of the European association of Tennis "Tennis Europe" – "European Tennis Trophy", five consecutively years from 2005 to 2009 on the set of victories in the professional, junior, veteran tennis and wheelchair tennis. Similarly, Russia was recognized as the best tennis power in Europe and in certain categories by full twelve times. All of it was achieved despite one of the lowest budgets compared to more prosperous federations , e. g. Kazakhstan Tennis Federation — the most popular nationality to switch from Russian — largely thanks to the efforts of Russian players themselves and their close relatives. As a popular example from the 1990s, before leaving for the USA, Yuri — Maria Sharapova's father — made his way to see Shamil Tarpishchev to ask for money. Out of generosity, Tarpishchev gave him a whole $1000. Almost all singles Grand Slam / Year-end / Masters 1000 tennis champions from Russia have been strongly associated with either betting scandal (Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Nikolay Davydenko) or doping scandal (Svetlana Kuznetsova and Maria Sharapova) also contributing  to a decrease of the popularity of tennis in Russia. In 2005, tennis was the fifth most popular sport to watch in Russia (after football, figure skating, boxing and hockey) but has developed a strong reputation of sport "for rich parents' children only" or for sportspeople's children only (Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva, Marat Safin etc.) which is "not suiting Russia by climate", and dropped in popularity significantly since then. The Wimbledon Championships has been broadcast by the local TV since 1984 (since 1986 — without censorship due to the presence of Martina Navratilova which had been cut before she was  warmly greeted by the majority Czechs in Prague while participating for the USA at the 1986 Fed Cup), the French Open has been broadcast since 1989. As for 2018, RTF has counted 300 tennis clubs in Russia. But the federation takes into account both courts in parks and tennis schools without their own base which rent courts for practicing in clubs. In reality, in Russia there were 187 functioning clubs that rent out courts. First local champions timeline. Significant events. "Last updated after the 2022 Miami Open." Other ATP / WTA events. "Last updated after the 2022 Serbia Open / 2022 İstanbul  Cup."