Two years after last winning Wimbledon, seven-time champion Serena Williams will make her long-awaited return to London next week. As a reward for her success, the current World #183 will be seeded 25th. Despite the good news for the American, there are mixed feelings about the decision made by the All England Club.
Unlike other Slams, in Wimbledon the seedings don’t have to be based on the current rankings, which is the reason why she is seeded. They can also be based on previous successes at Wimbledon and how good of a grass court player they are. An example of seedings being changed was Murray being the #3 seed in 2014 despite being ranked #5. Additionally, Kyle Edmund is the #22 seed this year, although he is currently ranked at #18. (These examples are slightly different since Wimbledon uses a formula to determine the men’s seeds, but the point stands.)
Protected ranking
The change in her seeding comes after many concerns were raised regarding the protected ranking system. The system is designed so that players can take a break from the tour due to specific reasons. Examples of this include pregnancy (like Williams, Azarenka, and Minella) and injury. The system is beneficial as it allows players to carry on playing where they left off, without having to start again from the very bottom.
When she was put on protected ranking she was ranked #1, which means her protected ranking is still the same yet her actual ranking is much lower. Many players have stated that they believe Serena should have been seeded #1 at previous tournaments because of this. This has encouraged the Wimbledon committee to seed her for the tournament. Additionally, Serena herself has stated that the protected rankings system is unfair as it punishes women for pregnancy. It means that players might not want to be pregnant as it means they have to build up their ranking from the very bottom.
The positive side
For Serena and many of the other seeded players, the decision is a relief. The draw will be much easier for the American, as she won’t have to face such a difficult opponent in the first or second round. It will also benefit the other seeded players–they are now assured that they can’t face her in the first two rounds. It would be especially catastrophic if Serena had to face the World #1 Simona Halep, as it would be unfair to become the best in the world, just to meet one of the best in the very first stage.
Moreover, there will be less of a chance of Serena becoming injured, like in Paris. At Roland Garros, she set the world alight after fighting past Barty and easily beating Goerges. However, in the fourth round she was forced to retire before her match against Sharapova had even started. This time around, Serena won’t have to face difficult opponents early on, meaning she won’t be as worn out for the latter stages of the tournament.
The negative side
Being seeded may be positive for her, but can also be negative for other players. Being a seed despite not being ranked very high means that someone else has to suffer. Sadly, that player is World #32, Dominika Cibulkova, who has been bumped down a place. This means that the former #4 could face Halep or any other seed in the first round. The Slovak has called the decision unfair as she has tried to keep her ranking high enough to be seeded but will receive no benefits. She argued, “I think it’s just not fair. I have tried and I should be seeded. If they put her in front of me then I will lose my spot that I am supposed to have.” Other players have argued that it is Wimbledon’s fault, as they should have considered Cibulkova’s case before making the decision.
Furthermore, being seeded #25 will mean Serena will most likely face a Top 8 seed in the third round. She has not faced such a high ranked player in a very long time so it may be very difficult for her. In fact, being a lower seed means that she might even have less of a chance to do well. Being unseeded in Paris, she still managed to navigate her way into the second week, courtesy of a favourable draw. This time, she will probably have to face a top ten player and will struggle to make it past the third round.
It’s clear that the Wimbledon committee have made a good decision to allow her a seeding. However, the decision was poorly thought through as it meant a deserving player was denied a place as a seed. Despite this, the other Slams should follow Wimbledon’s example and not base their seeds solely on rankings. This is because it allows players who deserve a seeding to be seeded and not face someone so highly ranked early on.
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