WIMBLEDONE
Without ranking points it’s merely an exhibition tournament says Osaka, who is ready to boycott SW19
NAOMI OSAKA is the first top star to reveal she is considering boycotting Wimbledon after the Grand Slam was stripped of ranking points.
“I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it’s more like an exhibition,” said the former world No.1
The ATP and WTA imposed the points penalty last week after the All England Club banned Russian and Belarusian players following the invasion of Ukraine.
British No.1 Cam Norrie (above) then warned that players would boycott the oldest Grand Slam – and Frenchman Lucas Pouille yesterday became the first to indicate he will stay away.
But the withdrawal of Osaka, who is a four-time Grand Slam champion and the highestearning sportswoman in the world, would be a major blow to the prestige of The Championships. And others could follow to further damage the sporting integrity of the event that is already missing 15 players from the top 100.
“The decision is affecting my mentality going into grass,” said the Japanese star. “I’m not 100 percent sure if I’m going to go there. I’m not sure why but I feel like, if I play Wimbledon without points, it’s more like an exhibition. I know this isn’t true, right? But my brain just like feels that way.
“Whenever I think something is like an exhibition, I just can’t go at it 100 percent. I don’t want to say pointless – no pun intended
– but I’m the type of player that gets motivated by seeing my ranking go up.
“I think the intention was really good but the execution is all over the place.”
The Japanese star missed The Championships last year after pulling out of the French Open, citing mental-health issues, and has never got beyond the third round at SW19. She fell and hurt her knee on her last appearance at Wimbledon in 2019.
And after losing 7-5 6-4 to Amanda Anisimova in the first round at Roland Garros, the world No.38 said: ”Because I got injured there pretty badly, grass just makes me a bit scared. I feel like you’re going to have to conquer your fears eventually. “So I’m going to see how the decisions turn out, then I guess I’ll make my own decision.” Former Australian Open semi-finalist Pouille (inset) opposed the points deduction and reckons prize money will now be cut although the
Wimbledon board has yet to meet to make a decision. The world No.165 said: “I understand the frustration of the Russian players and the injustice of it, I know they have nothing to do with it, but now there is an injustice for 240 players instead of 12. “We can’t all pay the consequences. I do not know how the players are going to react. It will remove the intensity from the tournament. “At Wimbledon, I imagine they are not going to let it go like that. The prize money will not be the same as expected, it will be reduced.
“I had decided initially to not play Wimbledon before saying to myself: ‘No, it is still a Grand Slam, you are going to go,’ and I signed up for the grass-court tournaments. But I think that I won’t go.”