MY ACCOUNT
Andy Murray has hit out at the suggestion that Wimbledon will not feel as important without ranking points.
The All England Club’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing at the Grand Slam has resulted in the WTA and ATP stripping Wimbledon of any ranking points, which has led to the suggestion some players may skip the tournament.
Naomi Osaka, the former WTA world No1 and a three-time Grand Slam champion, suggested after her first-round exit at Roland Garros that she was considering missing Wimbledon as she feels the tournament may feel “like an exhibition”.
Other high-profile players, such as Denis Shapovalov, are also considering whether they take part, though Russian Andrey Rublev, who is one of the players who has been banned due to his nation’s invasion of Ukraine, believes the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who have no concern over ranking points but are instead going for history, will feature.
And former world No1 Murray, who won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, has insisted it will forever be a crucial part of the tennis calendar.
The Scot tweeted: “I follow golf very closely and have no idea how many ranking points the winner of The Masters gets.
“Me and my friends love football and none of us know or care how many ranking points a team gets for winning the FIFA World Cup.
“But I could tell you exactly who won the World Cup and The Masters. I’d hazard a guess that most people watching on centre court at Wimbledon in a few weeks’ time wouldn’t know or care about how many ranking points a player gets for winning a third-round match.
“But I guarantee they will remember who wins. Wimbledon will never be an exhibition and will never feel like an exhibition. The end.”
