Former Romanian tennis player Ilie Nastase will not be given accreditation for this year's French Open, organisers said on Saturday. The 70-year-old is provisionally banned from all International Tennis Federation (ITF) events after making allegedly racist and sexist comments during Romania's Fed Cup tie against Britain last month. "Following the decision of his suspension by the @ITF_Tennis, Mr. Ilie Nastase won't be accredited for RG17," French Open organisers said on Twitter.

Nastase, who courted controversy throughout his career during which he won the US and French Opens, is also not welcome at this year's Wimbledon championships. Romania's Fed Cup captain was booted out of the tie against Britain last month for "unsportsmanlike" behaviour. The singles rubber between Britain's Johanna Konta and Sorana Cirstea was briefly suspended after remarks made by Nastase to Konta and British team captain Anne Keothavong. Nastase had already run into trouble during the World Group playoff tie in Constanta after making a derogatory comment about the unborn child of American Serena Williams, the 23-times grand slam singles champion.

Copyright Reuters, 2017