Wimbledon may seed Serena after rankings drop due to pregnancy

Wimbledon chiefs are seeking clarification over whether seven-time champion Serena Williams can be seeded at this year’s Championships.

Williams, the winner in 2015 and 2016, did not defend her title last year as she was pregnant and is now ranked a lowly 449th in the world.

Many inside women’s tennis feel players are being penalised for dropping down the rankings, in the same way as injured players, when they take time off to give birth.

In the men’s draw nobody outside the top 32 is eligible for a grass-court seeding, but the rules are less clear on the women’s side. All England Club chairman Philip Brook said: “It is totally different to an injury and we have empathy and sympathy for the point.”

The club also needs to decide whether to give Britain’s Dan Evans a wildcard following the former world No 41’s return from a drug ban.

At the annual spring press conference this year’s prize pot was announced, with the men’s and ladies winners receiving £2.25million – a rise of £50,000 on last year.

The total prize fund will be £34m, a 7.6 per cent increase on last year.

Injured players will be able to claim 50 per cent of their firstround prize money – up £4,000 to £39,000 – if they withdraw on site by the Thursday before the start of the main draw. An injured player’s replacement would take the other half of the prize money. Some players drew criticism last year for trying to play their first-round matches despite being unfit in order to still claim the cash.