WTA ranking points to be kept in UK grass-court events

The WTA has decided to offer ranking points for next month’s UK grass-court events, following the ATP’s lead.

However, due to the All England Club and the LTA’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players during the invasion of Ukraine, Wimbledon could still lose points.

The decision is reported to be tightly balanced, with results from both tours anticipated in the coming days.

Meanwhile, LTA CEO Scott Lloyd said in his first interview since the ban was issued that the decision was correct and not discriminatory.

“I understand that it is a complex issue with a variety of viewpoints, but given the circumstances we are operating under in this country and public feeling toward Ukraine, I believe we have made the appropriate decision,” Lloyd told.

“I’m not sure discriminating is the correct word to use here. We must work within the constraints of official advice in the United Kingdom.”

“We, along with a number of other sports, such as boxing, motorsport, athletics, and the IOC, have reached the same conclusion.”

According to the ATP, the decision “undermines the opportunity for players of any country to attend events based on merit” and is a rule infringement.

The LTA might face a hefty fine, and the tournaments at The Queen’s Club and Eastbourne could be suspended from the ATP Tour if a particularly tough stance is taken.

Both the LTA and the All England Club have explained how the government’s “direction guidelines” influenced their decisions.

Sport England recently awarded the LTA a £10.2 million support package, and Lloyd stressed the importance of government financing.

He stated, “Our cooperation with Sport England, and indeed the government is really vital to tennis in this country.”

“The government will spend £22 million to assist the LTA in restoring park tennis facilities, which are critical for grassroots tennis.”

“Of course, we must recall that last summer’s tennis championships, particularly Wimbledon, were among the first sporting events to return to normalcy following the Covid pandemic.”

“That would not have been possible without the government’s help and collaboration.”

Many players have been unhappy with the decision, and there is a strong consensus that it should have been better communicated rather than presented as a fait accompli.

Removing points from tour events were eventually deemed unsuitable since it would have penalized competitors in the United Kingdom.

Players have felt strongly about pulling points from Wimbledon from the start, as it is the only genuine leverage the tours have.

Making a final decision is difficult, and it’s possible that the ATP and WTA will come to different decisions.

Some gamers will be more impacted than others. If points are eliminated this year, last year’s Wimbledon points are projected to disappear from the ATP rankings.

Novak Djokovic would thus be unable to defend the 2000 points he earned on Centre Court last year, and he would lose his number one position regardless of what happens at Roland Garros.

Meanwhile, despite the fact that Lord Davies currently controls the private equity business LetterOne, which was created by the sanctioned Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman, Lloyd says he is fine with Lord Davies as the LTA chairman.

Given the organization’s stance on Ukraine, Lloyd says there are no double standards.

“There is no doubt that Mervyn [Lord Davies] fully supports the UK government’s position on the Ukraine conflict, and his actions against that corporation have been brave and powerful,” he said.

“I appreciate his desire to save the 100,000 or so jobs that exist within those companies.”

“He has basically expelled any Russian interest in that sector with his stance.”