The French Open is underway presently, however a lot of the discuss has been concerning the grand slam that follows.
Key factors:
- Novak Djokovic plans on defending his Wimbledon title
- Naomi Osaka says with no rankings factors, Wimbledon will probably be like an exhibition occasion
- Djokovic says the present state of affairs with Wimbledon is a “lose-lose” state of affairs
The choice by the ATP and WTA to take away rankings factors from Wimbledon has been a divisive one. The game’s governing our bodies made the decision in response to the All England Membership banning Russian and Belarusian gamers in April on account of the invasion of Ukraine.
World primary Novak Djokovic plans on defending his Wimbledon title, regardless that he’ll forfeit the two,000 rankings factors he received final 12 months. The Serb misplaced one other 2,000 factors when he was unable to play on this 12 months’s Australian Open attributable to his unvaccinated standing.
The shortage of rankings factors is more likely to end in Djokovic dropping his primary rating to Russian Daniil Medvedev.
“It is a very distinctive and bizarre state of affairs,” Djokovic mentioned after his first-round win over Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka at Roland Garros.
“A grand slam continues to be a grand slam, Wimbledon for me was at all times my dream event once I was a baby.
“I do not have a look at it via the lens of factors or prize cash, for me, it is one thing else.”
4-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka mentioned she was weighing up whether or not to play a Wimbledon event that she mentioned can be “extra like an exhibition” with none rankings factors on provide.
Djokovic mentioned he can perceive gamers having reservations however is happy that the boys’s and girls’s excursions have despatched a message to Wimbledon.
“I am glad gamers received along with the ATP and confirmed to the grand slam that when there’s a mistake occurring — and there was from the Wimbledon facet — there’s going to be some penalties,” mentioned Djokovic.
“I assist the gamers, unification. I’ve at all times completed that, I will at all times try this.”
World quantity 5 Rafael Nadal made a powerful begin to the French Open with a straight-sets demolition of Australian Jordan Thompson.
After the match, the 13-time champion additionally discovered himself speaking concerning the rankings-free Wimbledon.
“I respect and perceive Wimbledon’s place undoubtedly,” Nadal mentioned in his post-match media convention.
“Then again, I perceive and respect that the ATP is defending their members.
“It isn’t that one is doing a unfavorable factor and one is doing the nice factor.
“Hopefully, ATP and Wimbledon could be collectively and sit collectively and negotiate a greater future for either side.”
Wimbledon accused of a scarcity of communication
Six-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic mentioned he had heard that the event may have explored different choices, similar to holding an exhibition occasion concurrently for the excluded gamers.
“Just a few days in the past I came upon there was a doc of advice from the English authorities in the direction of the All England Membership the place that they had a number of choices, there was not just one on the desk,” mentioned Djokovic.
“And so they have not mentioned it with anybody from the ATP, any particular person gamers or for that matter Russian and Belarusian gamers to only talk or perceive whether or not there’s frequent floor the place either side could possibly be making a compromise.
British primary Cameron Norrie and Australia’s top-ranked feminine Ajla Tomljanovic are two gamers who’ve been crucial of the transfer to strip Wimbledon of rankings factors.
Djokovic acknowledges some gamers will probably be extra impacted than others.
“It is a super-sensitive topic and no matter you determine, it’ll create quite a lot of battle, quite a lot of separation as a substitute of unification,” mentioned Djokovic.
“There’s at all times going to be some teams of gamers who’re going to be affected extra negatively and they will complain extra.
“It is arduous actually, it is arduous to say what is correct, what’s unsuitable.
“That is certainly one of these varieties of choices and conditions the place there’s at all times going to be somebody that can endure extra so it is form of a lose-lose state of affairs actually.”
