‘Not an exhibition’ - Martina Navratilova says Wimbledon about more than ranking points after Naomi Osaka comments

ByRichard Newman

Published 25/05/2022 at 11:26 GMT

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has criticised players for prioritising ranking points above the honour of winning Wimbledon, following suggestions some - like Naomi Osaka - could skip the grass court Grand Slam because of the lack of points on offer. The nine-time Wimbledon singles champion says all that matters is lifting the trophy at the All England Club.

Martina Navratilova has suggested players have their priorities wrong if they are putting a lack of ranking points ahead of the prestige of winning Wimbledon.

The ATP and WTA Tours have removed points from the grass court Grand Slam, after the All England Club’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Navratilova, a nine-time singles champion at Wimbledon and an 11-time winner across women’s and mixed doubles, says everything should be secondary to lifting the trophy.

WTA Madrid

Osaka 'taking a lot of inspiration' from clay experts as she seeks first title on surface

2 hours ago

"First of all, I couldn't care less if there were no points given," Navratilova told TalkTV.

“I always played for the trophies, not the points and not the money. So for me it was Wimbledon and nothing else, everything else came in second.

“So the points, it’s not an exhibition. I don’t understand that view, that players wouldn’t play because there are no points. You are playing for computer ranking? I just wanted to hold that trophy, that wonderful rose dish.”

'I get motivated by seeing my ranking go up' - Osaka on Wimbledon doubts

Navratilova does sympathise with players who will miss the event, citing Andrey Rublev for publicly calling for peace but being unable to compete at Wimbledon - though he has stopped short of criticising Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

“There is no good way out of it. It’s a bad situation. A horrible situation with the war and a bad situation with Wimbledon making this rule and now another iffy decision, not giving the points.”

• ‘I want to know if ATP wants to defend players or Russia’ – Paire fumes over Wimbledon decision
• Medvedev: 'Not easy' to comment on Wimbledon decision, ATP explanation 'more logical'
• Henman exclusive: Big names won't skip Wimbledon; ATP, WTA 'penalising' players

Osaka admitted after losing her opening match at the French Open that she may now skip the grass-court Slam.

“I would love to go to get some experience on the grass court," said Osaka. "But I’m the type of player who gets motivated by seeing my ranking go up.”

She supported her answer to another question in Japanese, saying: "I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points it’ll be more like an exhibition.

"I know this isn’t true, but my brain just feels like that way and whenever I think of something like an exhibition I just can’t go at it 100 per cent.

“I didn’t even make my decision yet but I’m leaning more towards not playing given the current circumstances. That might change but I do want to get more experience on the grass and I know that the Berlin tournament is giving out points.”

- - -

Stream the 2022 French Open live and on-demand on discovery+

Billie Jean King Cup

Osaka aiming for Paris Olympics after helping Japan reach Billie Jean King finals

13/04/2024 at 20:01

Billie Jean King Cup

Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers: Which top stars are playing?

11/04/2024 at 11:13

WTA Miami

Garcia dumps Osaka out of Miami Open to set up last-16 tie against Gauff

25/03/2024 at 07:00