Wimbledon, England — At least initially, before the tennis ball is hit, this edition of Wimbledon is next It looks like. We know a lot about who is here, who is, and what is missing.
And it takes this into account: It's not a small issue for the grass court Grand Slam tournament to mark a return to Serena Williams' singles a year ahead.
The 1st place man, Daniil Medvedev, was banned from competing with by the All England Club, along with all other players from Russia and Belarus. Due to the war in Ukraine
"That's a mistake," said Martina Navratilova, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She said, "What should they do, leave the country. You don't want it to your worst enemy."
Novak Djokovicis the first seed and three-time defending champion to play in his first match on the center court on Monday, looking at the situation as follows: .. To say what is right and what is wrong.
"As a child of war — actually some wars" In the 90's I know what it's like to be in a (Ukrainian) position, "said the 35-year-old Serbia. "But on the other hand, I can't say I completely agree (by deciding) to ban Russian and Belarusian tennis players from competing indefinitely. What they are actually doing. I don't know how it contributed, that is, I don't feel it's fair. "
Two Pro Tour, Wimbledon Reacted by earning ranking points from. This is an unprecedented move in sports built in a variety of ways around rankings. Meanwhile, some players have chosen not to participate, such as 2014 runner-up Eugenie Bouchard and four-time major champion Naomi Osaka
. .. -Suspicious-Decision to appear. After all, this is Wimbledon, with its unique surface and long-standing tradition, strong fame, and tens of millions of prizes when it comes to facing it.
"It's definitely hard to swallow without points. I I'm not going to tell you that I'm sitting here and happy about it, but the cards are dealt. At the end of the day, when I tell my mother I'm not playing Wimbledon, she It looks like "Are you nuts?" So I'm definitely going, "said American Frances Tiafoe. Seeded 24th in the men's field. "It's out of the control of anyone. It's a crazy time in a difficult situation. And it's not just you. It's not a matter of" why am I ".
There are rumors that prize money will be reduced even among players, and Fabio Fognini has come to joking that he would be grateful for the lack of ranking points and the small amount of cash offered. He took a vacation to the island with his wife, 2015 US Open Champion Flavia Pennetta and her young children.
But that turned out to be all — Rumor: The All England Club has announced that it will offer a total of around £ 40m ($ 50m) in player rewards.
There are other important names that are moving away for a variety of reasons.
Active female championAshleigh Barty in MarchThe 25.8-time male champion Roger Federer , who retired at age, has not yet returned from the latest in a series of knee surgeries. He hasn't participated in any tournaments since last year's Wimbledon. After tearing his right ankle ligament at the French Open, second-placed Alexander Zverev was sent off.
Also, in 2022 Wimbledon became the first holiday scheduled in the middle of Sunday in its long history (hence the 13-day tournament becoming a complete two-week event. increase).
Oh, but guess who's back. Yes, Williams, Thanks to her wildcard invitation, she brought enough star power to fill her spotlight while she stayed in the bracket.
Seven Championships in the All England Club Owners — And 23 from all majors that are professional records — June 2021 I competed in the last singles. She was forced to stop in the first set of her first round match when she slipped on the grass on a smooth center court and injured her right hamstring.
"I didn't retire. I just needed to heal physically and mentally. To be honest, I had no plans. I don't know when I'll be back. I didn't know how to get back, "Williams said on Saturday. "Obviously Wimbledon is a great place and it worked a bit."
She made a surprise appearance this week on the grass in Eastbourne with Ons Jabeur and Doubles, but was ranked 113th on Tuesday. Until the match against Harmony Tan, the 40-year-old American hasn't played singles.
To stay at her point until Williams can crank up the best serve of the game and finish the point with her stinging ground stroke that knows what she can do. If you can move enough. In addition, she got into the habit of winning the match shortly after returning from her long absence.
There is also Rafael Nadalwho is in the middle of the Grand Slam of the calendar year for the first time after she won the Australian Open in January and the French Open this month. The latter title was 14th in Paris and 22nd in the men's best in Major League Baseball, but despite the chronic pain in his left leg, can the 36-year-old Spaniard play in the All England Club or continue? I was wondering if I could do it. ..
"First, you can walk normally most days. Almost every day, that's the main problem for me, "Nadal said on Saturday. "When I wake up, I haven't had the pain of the last year and a half. I'm very happy about it."
Sure, the storyline hasn't run out for the last two weeks. The coronavirus pandemic restricted spectators last year, and a large number of people returned after the tournament was canceled in 2020. This is to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the current Center Court, which debuted in 1922.
French Open Champion And top-ranked Iga Swiatek have won 35 games in a row. And Djokovic bid for the 21st Grand Slam Trophy. In the current situation, he is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and will not be able to compete in the US Open in August. shot.
"That's an additional motivation to do well here," Djokovic said.