My day-to-day role at the Star-Advertiser involves working with national and international news, so following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since it began in late February is easy to do because it’s my job.
That means I’ve also been monitoring the wide swath of sanctions and other punishments heaped on Russia — and occasionally Belarus, which is aiding Moscow in the war — that have come from nations and organizations across the globe.
The sports world is no exception and various leagues have exacted their own penalties on Russia, by pulling events or limiting participation.
The latest sport to make headlines with its moves against Russia is tennis. Last month the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club — the organization behind Wimbledon, that storied tennis tournament in the U.K. — moved to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from entering the Wimbledon draw.
As a result, both the ATP and WTA — respectively, the men’s and women’s professional tennis organizations — decided they would not award so-called ranking points to players who are allowed to compete in Wimbledon. The points are key to athletes hoping to make gains in world standings, and this tournament would have been lucrative.
Essentially, then, when Wimbledon commences next month it will be a weeks-long, all-white-clad exhibition match.
Will it still be worth anything if it’s not, well, worth anything?
I admit I’m not a huge tennis fan and couldn’t list the top five female and male players right now. But I do know about Wimbledon, and I’m sure most folks who even somewhat follow sports know what it is too.
It’s a prestigious tournament with a long history, and the points change this year will leave an indelible mark on its legacy.
The AELTC’s decision to ban certain athletes based on their nationality is extreme but aligns with what other leagues and organizations have been doing.
As with the World Anti- Doping Agency’s decision a few years ago to prevent Russians from competing under their national flag due to their country’s doping scandal, not every Russian or Belarusian player is culpable in their nations’ war. However, trying to determine on a case-by-case basis which athletes should be sanctioned is more impractical.
The moves by ATP and WTA, on the other hand, seem a little like throwing the baby out with the bathwater — penalizing all for the faults of a few, or in this case the faults of two countries.
Professional tennis players are divided over the associations’ decision to remove ranking points from Wimbledon. Women’s phenom Naomi Osaka, recently eliminated from the French Open, revealed that she is unsure whether she would move on to a point-less Wimbledon.
Other women’s pros, such as 2021 Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova, disagree with the decision to remove points but seem inclined to play anyway for the experience and chance to prevail in what is still a very prestigious tournament.
A number of male professionals feel the same way — going without points is unfair, but what can they do?
The men’s rankings would in fact see a major shift if the no-points decision stands. Current No. 1 Novak Djokovic would lose his chance to score big points and retain his status; as a result, Russian Daniil Medvedev, the world No. 2 who can’t play in Wimbledon anyway, could very well catapult into first place.
In this way, then, Wimbledon will indeed be worth something this year: a headache, and a big one, for athletes who are happy to play but would be even happier to get a professional boost from it too.
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Reach Celia K. Downes at cdownes@staradvertiser.com
