No Russians, no rankings, but Serena’s back
WIMBLEDON, England — At least at the outset, before a tennis ball is struck, this edition of Wimbledon is as much about who — and what — is missing as who's here.
And that's even taking this into account: It is no small matter that the grasscourt Grand Slam tournament marks the return of Serena Williams to singles play after a year away.
The No. 1-ranked man, Daniil Medvedev, was barred from competing by the All England Club, along with every other player from
Russia and Belarus, because of the war in Ukraine.
“It's a mistake,” International Tennis Hall of Fame member Martina Navratilova said about the ban. “What are they supposed to do, leave the country? I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.”
The two professional tours reacted by pulling their ranking points from Wimbledon, an unprecedented move in a sport built around the rankings in so many ways. In turn, some athletes opted not to show up, including 2014 runnerup Eugenie Bouchard and four-time major champion
Naomi Osaka.
For others, though, it was a no-doubt-about-it decision to show up. This is, after all, Wimbledon, with its unique surface and long-standing traditions, its powerful prestige and — let's face it — tens of millions in prize money.
“It's definitely hard to swallow that there are no points. I'm not going to sit here and tell you I'm happy about it. But the cards are dealt. At the end of the day, if I tell my mom I'm not playing Wimbledon, she'd be like, ‘Are you nuts?!' So I'm going to go, no doubt,” said Frances Tiafoe, an American
who is seeded 24th in the men's field. “It's out of everybody's hands. It's a tough situation, a crazy time. And it's not just about you. It's not a ‘Why me?' problem.”
There were rumors among players that prize money would be cut, too, prompting one, Fabio Fognini, to joke that he'd be thankful for that because — without any ranking points available and with less cash on offer — he'd head to an island for some vacation time with his wife, 2015 U.S. Open champion Flavia Pennetta, and their young children.