Wimbledon seeds announced - Serena Williams at #25.
- Thread starter Aussie Darcy
- Start date
Deon Sanders
Legend
Perhaps the tournament organizers were afraid she would threaten their lives, like she has done in the past to others
NoleFam
Bionic Poster
This just shows you that when you are the cash cow for either tour, ATP or WTA, you will get special treatment. If you are a Federer fan, you really have no room to be critical of this decision because he gets preferential treatment as well. Nadal only gets it on a smaller scale like deciding who can umpire his matches. I don't agree with giving this treatment to Serena nor do I agree with it when they do it for Federer, and feel that other women that had babies didn't get the benefit of the doubt. If you didn't do it for Azarenka then it shouldn't be done for Serena. Yet this is the way it is when you are the premier name in the sport.
EloQuent
Legend
Wut
NoleFam
Bionic Poster
You didn't know about that or are you saying he gets more special treatment?
EloQuent
Legend
I don't consider it a smaller scale.
tenisdecente
Hall of Fame
I am not sure what you are on about Federer special treatment. Or you are another of those roof closed conspiracy followers?
tennisaddict
Bionic Poster
Fed gets preferential treatment at Wimbledon with center Court assignment
Forget tht fact that he has had to deal with getting scheduled always as the last match so tournament organizers can milk his presence
VaporDude95
Banned
How exactly was it “open to interpretation”? It was less of my diminutive brain and more of your diminutive viewpoint
Bartelby
Bionic Poster
I never said Azarenka didn't play. I said she never really returned to tennis.
Maybe they should have turned their attention to the issue last year.
And maybe they did in private and rejected any change to her seeding based on perceived form.
But fortunately they have this year.
It's incontestable that Serena's level of play is sponge-worthy despite her ranking.
Whether Azarenka's was is a different story.
Maybe they should have turned their attention to the issue last year.
And maybe they did in private and rejected any change to her seeding based on perceived form.
But fortunately they have this year.
It's incontestable that Serena's level of play is sponge-worthy despite her ranking.
Whether Azarenka's was is a different story.
Mainad
Bionic Poster
She will have to get her white one out for Wimbledon (unless the AELTC are going to make another exception for her).
tennisaddict
Bionic Poster
So what exactly has Serena played - IW, Miami and FO.?
Vika reached R4 and lost to Halep . So she did better than what was expected from a 25th seed
NoleFam
Bionic Poster
Federer played almost every match this year in the evening session on Rod Laver. He only had 1 match where he played in the day session which was the last match on Rod Laver. He basically said he makes requests on the scheduling so it's clear they grant him what he wants. This isn't the first time the Aussie has been called out for this since back in 2013 the British press reported that Murray's camp complained about this. Murray had played 4/5 of his matches before the SF in the day session and Federer played 4/5 of his in the night session on Rod Laver. Also, the roof shouldn't have been closed since the women played with it open and it's an outdoor tournament.
At Wimbledon, Federer has not played a match off Centre Court since the QF in 2015. You wanna know where Sampras, 7 time champ, played his last match at Wimbledon? On Court 2. Sampras also played 2 matches in 2001 on Court 1. So yes Federer definitely gets preferential treatment that other players and notably other legends before him did not get.
Gazelle
G.O.A.T.
Whatever. I suppose you'll always find some excuse to promote your feminist agenda.
SQA333
Hall of Fame
Nope. I’m pretty sure they were certain on placing her at 24, but because Sharapova was already there they slotted her at 25 for diplomacy’s sake. If any other player were at 24, you can bet your top dollar she would be bumped.
EloQuent
Legend
Yup. Basically anywhere above 24 would be political.
Apples and Oranges. D of F don't get ranking points for their performances but employment agreements. WTA/ATP players don't get employment agreements but ranking points. In both of the examples suggested, there are performance evaluation as well as legal agreements. Positions in companies or public offices aren't the ones of the athletes who don't sign agreements to be at the top but work their way to get there. What agreements the WTA/ATP have for their competitors would be interesting to have a look at.
This is a really good point. Now, do the organizers have the same kind of agreement with the WTA?
SQA333
Hall of Fame
Clearly not.
She should have been seeded number 1 and Venus should be seeded higher considering they won the tournament a combined 12 times with Venus being a finalist last year. I seem to remember in the past that Wimbledon was the only slam that would take into account a player's past performance at that tournament and seed players higher than their ranking.
boris becker 1
Semi-Pro
How is this fair?????
If so same should apply to Andy Murray and Stan Warinka.
Murray has won 2 wimbledons and had a hip surgery. Should aslo be seeded if that is the criteria.
If so same should apply to Andy Murray and Stan Warinka.
Murray has won 2 wimbledons and had a hip surgery. Should aslo be seeded if that is the criteria.
Hypothetically, returning Navratilova, Graff, Davenport, Mauresmo and Bartolli at the same time would really mix up the draw at Wimbledon given what should be according to your suggestion there. I remember Martina doing exactly that on her old knees a while back but I can't imagine the fine army of old women marching down the green grass in front of all the hard working young talented women in top ranking positions. Anyhow, when we say what it should be or not, we ought to think of all the consequences more than profits and entitlements. The rankings are well deserved for the CURRENT performances rather than overall historical ones which I would like to believe is in the agreement with all the WTA and ATP players there.
PS The WTA/ATP punishes players for not delivering their blood samples etc and so the players associations need to sanction themselves for not living up to their promises (in this case the women's tennis association it is)
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Bartelby
Bionic Poster
Wimbledon came to an agreement with the ATP to accept the men's ranking for its seeds and only change the order based on a grass formula.
Otherwise they might have decided differently.
Otherwise they might have decided differently.
kOaMaster
Hall of Fame
Before people answer or vote, they should consider this posting, which explains the situation perfectly well:
That's exactly what happened in this case, has barely anything to do with pregnancy. Simple and useful. It's also completely according to the rules that have been enforced for years:
http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/atoz/seeds.html
IMO, Wimbledon should apply this kind of seeding for Ladies & Gentlemen Championships in the future.
That's exactly what happened in this case, has barely anything to do with pregnancy. Simple and useful. It's also completely according to the rules that have been enforced for years:
http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/atoz/seeds.html
IMO, Wimbledon should apply this kind of seeding for Ladies & Gentlemen Championships in the future.
D
Deleted member 742196
Guest
May not be a bad idea.
Could save a lot of time.
As Nadal is serving triple faults the other guy has enough time for his strategic medical massage.
Could work.
Red Rick
Bionic Poster
D
Deleted member 742196
Guest
mxmx
Hall of Fame
Tennis players work for themselves and not the Atp or Wta. They should then be judged the same way other people who also work for themselves.
I think the decision on Serena was a good one...if only it wasn't to the detriment of Cibulkova.
tenisdecente
Hall of Fame
Thanks for confirming what I thought initially. I would love to continue the argument started in January about this but one time was enough. I would also love to argue the rest but I will pass. Have a good day
Tennis_Hands
Banned
You got that backwards.
The organisers are protecting the top 8 seeds from Serena.
By seeding her (that high), they ensure that none of the top 8 (presumably a crowd drawing players) will get eliminated early at the expense of Serena advancing, and test her if she is in good enough form to make the women's tournament interesting.
That way, if she's not in good condition to go deep in the tournament, she will probably get knocked out earlier, thus naturally not being a problem for the other potential top seeds to advance further in it.
Can you imagine the scenario, where Serena draws Halep/Muguruza, eliminates her, and has nothing in the tank to continue with her run, eliminated in R2 or R3?
It will be a pretty awkward situation.
Man of steel
Hall of Fame
This is Wimbledons prerogative. It's a benefit to them as tournament hosts and organisers. To those mentioning Clijsters and Azarenka. Neither of them have won Wimbledon 7 times let alone win it once or even made a Wimbledon final. So Wimbledon didn't really have any incentive to give them a protective seeding after childbirth.
They've always done things their own way. Is it right? Who's to say in this situation.
It just shows that if you have won Wimbledon especially multiple times you are given special treatment. And frankly Imho you should get some special treatment.
They've always done things their own way. Is it right? Who's to say in this situation.
It just shows that if you have won Wimbledon especially multiple times you are given special treatment. And frankly Imho you should get some special treatment.
boris becker 1
Semi-Pro
Hope Murray draws Nadal in 1st rd and knocks him out and Warinka another seed. Stupid that neither is seeded.
pame
Hall of Fame
I can't remember offhand - did Azarenka come back at Wimbledon, the only slam that has this seeding protocol?
Not to mention that Serena's history at Wimbledon is somewhat more stellar than Azarenka's
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
It's only a bad decision if Serena Williams is no longer the 25th best player in women's tennis. And even with the layoff it's likely she's still top 5 despite her ranking. If I'm running a tournament it comes down to the best players getting seeds. Not some politically correct BS about "so and so was pregnant and didn't get a seed when she came back." Serena just played in the FO and looked like one of the top women even if she wasn't playing her best. If she hadn't strained her Pec, I suspect wimbledon would give her an even higher seed.
None of those people are coming back except maybe Bartoli and she won the tournament once not SEVEN times
AtomicBernie
Rookie
Serena may get a pregnancy special seeding treatment. Wimbledon should give me stagnancy special seeding treatment. While Serena was pregnant, I was stagnant. I suffered more. I should be seeded 25 for being a two Grand Slam titles holder and a Wimbledon quarter finalist.
Thriller
Hall of Fame
“Wimbledon did such a good thing with the seeding,” she [Serena] said afterwards, in reference to the All England Club’s decision to seed her at No.25 – a judgment now justified by her progress to the third round.
“It will be nice to see ladies live their life and not start having families at my age. These women can take a year off and have the most amazing thing in the world, then come back to their job and not have to start from the bottom, scrape, scrape, scrape. Still give them an opportunity to be out there after bringing life into the world. It’s so important.”
http://www.wimbledon.com/index.html
Fantastic comment. Well said. Well played. Keep going!
“It will be nice to see ladies live their life and not start having families at my age. These women can take a year off and have the most amazing thing in the world, then come back to their job and not have to start from the bottom, scrape, scrape, scrape. Still give them an opportunity to be out there after bringing life into the world. It’s so important.”
http://www.wimbledon.com/index.html
Fantastic comment. Well said. Well played. Keep going!
