The British Grand Slam opens Monday in London in special conditions against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. Without Russian and Belarusian players, or ranking points, no one should really win the fortnight.
Diplomacy risks taking precedence over the athlete from Monday on the lawn of London. At the end of April, Wimbledon decided to exclude Russian and Belarusian players from the tournament to prevent “their success or participation [ne] be used for the benefit of the propaganda machine of the Russian regime“. A month later, the women’s (WTA) and men’s (ATP) professional tennis organizations retaliated by announcing that no points would be awarded at the end of the fortnight, faced with a decision “discriminatory» et «unfair“which called into question the principle”fundamental of fairness between all players».
How does Wimbledon compare to other tournaments?
Wimbledon is the first Grand Slam tournament to ban players individually to punish Moscow. So far, only the Russian and Belarusian national teams have been excluded from competitions. The other tournaments had nevertheless adapted their rules to the situation in Ukraine. A few weeks ago, the Roland-Garros tournament thus authorized players to participate, but only under a neutral banner.
The US Open, which begins on August 29, took the same position. Among the players concerned, we find in particular the current world number 1, Daniil Medvedev, but also the eighth in the ranking, Andrey Rublev. Among the women, six players from the top 30 will be absent, including number 6, Aryna Sabalenka.
Wimbledon without points, what difference does it make?
At the end of each tournament, the ATP and the WTA distribute points that allow players to move up the rankings. During each competition, the objective is to defend the points obtained the previous year. In the absence of bonuses this year, the best performers at Wimbledon in 2021 will therefore automatically tumble in the world hierarchy. This is for example the case of Novak Djokovic. Even if the world number 3 manages to win his twenty-first Grand Slam tournament, he will be relieved of the 2,000 points won last year thanks to his victory.
In sum, there is a lot to lose and little to gain… except for Russian and Belarusian players. Excluded from the tournament, they cannot lose points. Daniil Medvedev will therefore retain his place as leader of the men’s circuit. In short, because of sanctions aimed at the Russians, the place of number 1 of one of them will be consolidated.
Without ranking, what are the issues?
If the lack of competition for the ranking can discourage some players, others call to participate for prestige, like the Polish Iga Swiatek, world number one player. “At the Olympic Games, we play for medals and that is still very important. Whoever wins Wimbledon will always have that on his list on his Wikipedia page“, underlined the winner of the last Roland-Garros.
The British tournament will therefore be transformed into a prestigious tennis exhibition, where it will be more a question of showing your talent than of imposing yourself in the world hierarchy.
Where are the French?
If French players are not excluded from the competition, they are hardly visible. For the first time since 1999, there are no Blues among the 32 seeds at Wimbledon this year. A situation partly linked to the Gaël Monfils package. The number 1 tricolor has still not recovered from a heel injury.
Ten French people are however in the running: Ugo Humbert, Benjamin Bonzi, Arthur Rinderknech, Benoît Paire, Hugo Gaston, Adrian Mannarino, Richard Gasquet, Quentin Halys, Hugo Grenier and Enzo Couacaud.