Wimbledon will be different this year. It is without a point in the standings and without a Russian or Belarusian player that the third major tournament of the season will be played. A tournament that risks going down in history for the wrong reasons.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
In April, the tournament organizers announced, in response to the war in Ukraine, that all players from the countries of Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko would not be able to participate in the most prestigious tennis event in the world.
Thus, a few weeks later, the ATP and the WTA decided, by mutual agreement, to suspend the allocation of points for the 2022 edition. So, whether in defeat or in victory, the performances of all players will only be symbolic.
Significant absentees
With this position, Wimbledon deprives itself of the presence of some of the best players on the planet. Starting with Daniil Medvedev, world number one. Without forgetting Andrey Rublev, 8e player in the world, and Karen Khachanov, 22e in the ranking.
PHOTO CARMEN JASPERSEN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Daniel Medvedev
On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka, sixth player in the world, will be the best not to have access to the tournament. Daria Kasatkina, 13e worldwide, and Victoria Azarenka, who is 20e rank, will also be missed by tennis fans.
In justifying its decision, the tournament said it was “our responsibility to play our part in the repeated efforts of government, industry and sporting and cultural institutions to limit Russia’s global influence by the most effective means. powerful possible”.
What has irritated several actors in the world of tennis is that players are punished for actions beyond their control. Especially since most players have spoken out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
It’s one thing to ban Russian athletes when they represent their flag at international competitions, such as a World Cup. However, in a tournament like Wimbledon, the players represent their own interests, not those of their homeland, raised several speakers, including Martina Navratilova, champion of 18 tournaments in Grand Slam. “Such an exclusion, through no fault of the players, is not the right way to proceed. I think it’s a bad decision. Tennis is such a democratic sport. It’s hard to see politics destroying it. »
Reply
To counter this situation that the ATP and the WTA have deemed unfair, everyone finds themselves on an equal footing. If Russians and Belarusians couldn’t have points, no one would.
“Our rules and agreements exist to protect the rights of players as a whole. Unilateral decisions of this nature, if not heeded, set a damaging precedent for the rest of the circuit. Discrimination by tournaments is unsustainable on a circuit that operates in more than 30 countries,” the ATP said in a statement in May.
Several players also reacted to this decision. Finalist last year, Matteo Berrettini thinks he was “completely had”. He insists “it is a difficult decision. I have so many points to defend and now I can’t do it anymore”.
“It’s difficult, also underlined Novak Djokovic. I would say this is a situation in which everyone comes out the loser. »
For her part, Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who will not play the tournament, said some time ago that if she played Wimbledon without a point, “it will be more like an exhibition tournament”. “Then when I know it doesn’t matter, I just can’t give my 100%. »
PHOTO GLYN KIRK, AGENCY FRANCE-PRESSE
Sloane Stephens
And Sloane Stephens, a member of the WTA players’ council, didn’t mince words: “When you look at the principles of the circuit and what we fight for, discrimination is not tolerated. This is exactly what happens. As long as it lasts, there will be no points. »
Then, for world number one Iga Swiatek, with or without points, she will play to win: “I don’t care a bit about points. It remains Wimbledon. It is one of the most important tournaments of the season. »
Prestige remains, but fairness is subjective. It remains to be seen now if the winners will be recognized at their fair value, or if there will be an asterisk next to their name to recall the significance of this extraordinary tournament.