21 March 2021 | Wimbledon has banned players from Russia and Belarus over the Ukraine war. Video / AP
Roger Federer has suddenly been wiped from the ATP Tour rankings in the wake of the bombshell decision to strip Wimbledon of rankings points this year.
The tennis world is in meltdown after the world's most prestigious tennis event was stripped of ranking points by the sport's main tours in response to the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from the tournament following the invasion of Ukraine.
The move threatens to reduce Wimbledon to the status of a high-profile exhibition event, when it begins on June 27.
The flow-on effects are mind-boggling.
The early suggestions from the ATP Tour and WTA Tour suggest that the rankings points carried by players from the 2021 event will not be frozen, leaving players with no chance of defending the rankings points won at The All England Club last year.
It means tennis icon Federer will cease to exist on the ATP Tour rankings. His only remaining points came from his quarter-final run at Wimbledon last year.
American tennis legend Serena Williams will also be wiped from the top 1000 of the WTA Tour's rankings.
New York Times tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg wrote on Twitter Williams will also "fall off the rankings completely" if she does not play a tournament before Wimbledon.
Because she is not defending her 240 points from reaching the French Open fourth round last year, Serena Williams’ ranking is going to fall to somewhere around the 1200s.
Assuming she doesn’t play before Wimbledon, after that tournament she will fall off the rankings completely.
Tennis journalist Jose Morgado wrote on Twitter: "Roger Federer and Serena Williams will disappear from the rankings after Wimbledon even if they play the tournament".
It is one of many after-shocks to the decision to strip Wimbledon of rankings points.
Hungarian player Marton Fucsovics, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year, was one of the first players to show his anger at the decision from the ATP Tour.
He posted on Instagram: "No ranking points in Wimbledon and ranking points will drop from 2021. No chance to defend them. Are you serious ATP Tour? From No 60, I will drop to 130. Thank you".
The Times reports that one British player has privately told reporters the ATP Tour's decision is "f***ing madness".
The development is also a hammer blow to Novak Djokovic as he attempts to retain his No. 1 ranking.
Djokovic, the 2021 Wimbledon gentleman's singles champion will lose all 2000 rankings points from the tournament. It gives Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev with a golden chance to leapfrog him to be the top player in the world.
A further player backlash is expected as the sport attempts to get its head around the implications of Wimbledon's rankings points disappearing.
Roger Federer's remaining points come from his quarter-final run at Wimbledon last year. Photo / Getty
Federer recently said he is still hopeful of making his return from knee injuries at the Laver Cup in September and his goal remains a return to Wimbledon in 2023.
The 38-year-old is continuing to recover from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
His situation is in the middle of an enormous messy power struggle at the top of the sport's bureaucracy.
Wimbledon's ban on Russian and Belarusian players has ruled out a swathe of top players, including men's world number two Medvedev and last year's women's semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus as well as two-time major winner Victoria Azarenka.
The All England Club expressed its "deep disappointment" in the decision.
"We appreciate that opinions differ in relation to our decision to decline entries from Russian and Belarusian players to The Championships this year, and we deeply regret the impact of this decision on the individuals affected," it said in a statement.
"However, given the position taken by the UK Government to limit Russia's global influence, which removed automatic entry by ranking, and the widespread response of Government, industry, sport and creative institutions, we remain of the view that we have made the only viable decision for Wimbledon as a globally renowned sporting event and British institution, and we stand by the decision we have made."
The ATP's decision was also slammed by former Ukraine player Sergiy Stakhovsky who famously defeated Roger Federer on Centre Court at Wimbledon in 2013.
"To say that I am disappointed in @atptour would be understatement. Never would expect that anyone can stand on the side of invaders and murderers … but it seems to me that even my fellow players feel sorry for invaders and collaborants from rus/blr," tweeted Stakhovsky who has joined the Ukraine military to fight the Russian invasion.
"Players which in 85 days were not able to produce any clear message of condemnation of invasion into Ukraine. Shameful day in tennis."
Another former Ukrainian pro, Alex Dolgopolov described it as a "very poor decision".
The ATP didn't close the door, adding it remained "hopeful of further discussions with Wimbledon leading to an acceptable outcome for all concerned".
"We greatly value our longstanding relationships with Wimbledon and do not underestimate the difficult decisions faced in responding to recent UK Government guidance," added the ATP.
"However, we note that this was informal guidance, not a mandate, which offered an alternative option that would have left the decision in the hands of individual players competing as neutral athletes through a signed declaration.
"Our internal discussions with affected players in fact led us to conclude this would have been a more agreeable option for the Tour."
The Wimbledon ban had been widely condemned especially as Russian and Belarusian players are still allowed to compete at other tournaments including the second Grand Slam of the season at the French Open which starts in Paris on Sunday.
