Daniil Medvedev & Alexander Bublik join field at controversial St. Petersburg exhibition
Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Bublik are among the high-profile names set to compete at the controversial Northern Palmyra Trophies exhibition in St. Petersburg later this month.
No official tennis events have been held in Russia since 2022, with tournaments across both the ATP and WTA Tours removed from the country following the invasion of Ukraine in February of that year.
The Northern Palmyra Trophies exhibition was first held in December of that year and has been held every year since, though it has consistently attracted significant controversy.
The event is largely funded by Gazprom, a Russian state-owned energy supplier believed to be financially aiding the nation’s efforts in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Held in St. Petersburg, the former home of events on both the ATP and WTA Tours, the exhibition event has attracted high-profile names ever since it first launched.
While many sports stopped both Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing following the start of the conflict in February 2022, tennis took a different approach.
Russian and Belarusian stars are still allowed to compete as neutral athletes, with Wimbledon’s decision to ban such players in 2022 attracting criticism from both the ATP and WTA; the All England Club reversed its decision from 2023.
The ongoing involvement of Russian players in the sport means that many of those set to compete in St. Petersburg are currently active on tour.
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Alongside world No 13 and former world No 1 Medvedev, ATP Tour player Karen Khachanov and WTA players Veronika Kudermetova, Diana Shnaider, and Anastasia Potapova are set to be in action.
All of Khachanov, Kudermetova, Shnaider, and Potapova have competed at the exhibition event previously.
Bublik has also previously competed at the tournament and will be joined in the field by WTA player Yulia Putintseva, both players who were born in Russia but now represent Kazakhstan.
High-profile past Russian players have also been connected to the event previously, with the likes of Anastasia Myskina, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nikolay Davydenko, and Mikhail Youzhny all appearing.
International players, including France’s Adrian Mannarino and Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, have also competed at the event in the past and have faced sizable criticism.
Dutch star Tallon Griekspoor signed up for the event in 2024 and ultimately withdrew due to injury, though he again appears on the promotional posters for 2025.
Former Serbian player Janko Tipsarevic and Frenchman Mansour Bahrami are set to serve as team captains this year.
While the players involved will likely face criticism — and potentially further questions when official tour action returns in 2026 — there will not be any penalties placed on them by the WTA or ATP.
In statements released to clarify their stances on the event in 2023, both tours stated that there was no requirement for any players to face sanctions.
The WTA statement read: “This event is not affiliated with the WTA, nor does the WTA endorse this event. Players compete on the WTA Tour as independent contractors, and they have the option to play in an exhibition during the off-season at their discretion without penalty.”
The ATP statement read: “The ATP does not currently has a ban on exhibition tournaments between seasons. Players are free to choose as individuals where they wish to participate.”
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