There are several ways of getting into Wimbledon. You can get in directly with a high enough ranking, you can qualify for the event, or you can be lucky enough to receive a wildcard.
Wildcards are passes that give players a direct entry into a main draw if they aren’t able to directly enter due to their ranking. They’re mainly given out by tournament directors with the main purpose of attracting more attention to the event. Such as home players, young prospects, or former top players, among many others.
In the past wildcards have shown their use; I mean Goran Ivanisevic not only won any tournament as a wildcard but Wimbledon, the title he always dreamt of winning and came so close to several times before. If that doesn’t show the ultimate use of a wildcard I’m not sure what does, but the issue arises when wildcards are the total opposite of justified. Over the course of 2002-2009 Brit Alex Bogdanovic received eight, yes eight, wildcards to Wimbledon without winning a single match only because of his nationality. It got to a point where it was so ridiculous that 7 time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe said he wanted Alex Bogdanovic to gain even more wildcards into the most prestigious tennis tournament only to break the record for most consecutive R1 losses.
It’s clear then that wildcards can do wonders for a player and event or embarrass them both completely. Wildcards can raise a lot of controversy; should a player be given a wildcard just because they’re lucky enough to be from a country with professional events, what about those who aren’t? Should a player keep on getting wildcards just because they’re young? When do you finally say enough is enough and stop giving a player wildcards? All these questions and others raise a lot of different opinions; some may be more common than others but there is no definitive view.
With Wimbledon just around the corner the All England Lawn Tennis Club has handed over their wildcards already. Given the wide range of reasons behind these wildcards I feel there’s no better way to see how justified wildcards are than to look into some of them.
Lleyton Hewitt
The 2002 champion returns to Wimbledon for the last time in his career before hanging up his racquet after next year’s Australian Open. Over the years the gritty Aussie has proved to be a crowd favourite which fans will relish seeing for the last time this year. No one deserves a wildcard more than the former world #1 who has provided tennis with so much over the years at Wimbledon with epics against great players such as Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick. The whole tennis world will miss the former Wimbledon champion when his tennis career is over but for now he deserves the best sending off possible with a final appearance at a place he so dearly loves.
Naomi Broady
The Brit has been handed her second consecutive wildcard for Wimbledon. Unfortunately for the 25-year-old she has only won one match on the WTA tour all season with most of her appearances being in ITF events–with many early losses in them as well. If anything, last year at Wimbledon she did win her first round match in 3 sets before losing to Caroline Wozniacki which helps her case. It’s clear she doesn’t belong at this level, so on that basis alone is a wildcard justified because of her nationality? You can make your own mind up but the fact is if she wasn’t a Brit there’s no chance of her being able to get into a Wimbledon main draw.
Laura Robson
Six years on from her first appearance at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old, Robson has gone onto become a solid professional with much potential. The last 18 months have been rough for the former world #27 with injuries plaguing her, only making her comeback earlier this week where she lost in the first round of qualifying in Eastbourne just winning one game. Despite that, however, it will be great to see her back on tour and hopefully this is a catalyst for her getting fully fit once again. Given her performances over the years at Wimbledon, especially in 2013 making the second week, her wildcard is deserved.
Nicolas Mahut
Three titles and all of them are on grass, in fact one was only a few weeks ago in s-Hertogenbosch. Add that all to the his Wimbledon 2010 epic against John Isner which he barely lost 70-68 in the 5th in over 11 hours there’s no way the loveable Frenchman wasn’t getting a wildcard, right? Right. Not only will Mahut provide entertainment with a dying art of style by serve and volleying he’s more than capable of winning a few matches here. A great wildcard decision by the organising committee.
So the wildcards this year have been full of a nice mix between legends returning, great grass courters getting their chance on the surface and players returning from injury. Of course there are a few questionable choices because of such features like their form and nationality, but overall from the wildcards given out this year I think it’s fair to say a good amount are completely justified.
The other men’s wildcards are Liam Broady, Matthew Ebden, Kyle Edmund, Bryden Klein, James Ward, and Denis Kudla. The other women’s wildcards are Johanna Konta and Jelena Ostapenko.
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