Eyebrows have been raised after reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina’s Australian Open tilt will begin out on courtroom 13 at Melbourne Park on Monday.
The 23-year-old Kazakh defeated Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur within the Wimbledon decider final July however earned no factors from the occasion.
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Last season, Wimbledon banned Russian and Belarusian gamers from taking part in on the All-England Club over their nations’ involvement within the warfare in Ukraine. The ATP and WTA reacted by stripping the occasion of rankings factors.
As Rybakina received the occasion, she would have earned 2000 factors, that means she would have been ranked eighth on this planet if these factors had been added to her tally.
Intriguingly, Rybakina beforehand represented Russia however switched allegiances in 2018 for better monetary help.
Instead, she is ranked twenty fifth heading into the occasion and seeded 22 after some excessive profile absences from the Australian Open.
But forward of her first spherical match on Monday, at the moment scheduled for 4.15pm, Rybakina will tackle Italian 21-year-old Elisabetta Cocciaretto on Court 13 at Melbourne Park.
Cocciaretto is at the moment in good kind, having made the ultimate of the Hobart International.
Racquet Magazine senior editor Ben Rothenberg queried the thought means of placing a reigning grand slam champion on an out of doors courtroom.
“Reigning Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina got relegated all the way out to the hinterland of Court 13 for her first #AusOpen match,” he wrote.
“I understand there is a saturation of recent women’s Slam champs, to an extent, but has a reigning Wimbledon champ ever been so quickly disregarded?”
He wasn’t the one one perplexed by the transfer.
Tennis journalist Jose Morgado wrote: “Rybakina at the parking lot vs. Hobart finalist…”
He later added to Rothenberg’s publish: “She got totally screwed by the pointless Wimbledon.
“Bad draws and small courts every week.”
American sports activities reporter Jacob Cersosimo commented: “I have no idea how this happens but this is WILD!”
The Sun’s assistant sports activities editor Sam Street joked: “You should see what the Australian Open did with the reigning Wimbledon men’s champion last year.”
Rybakina’s begin to the season has been lower than superb, successful simply one among three matches throughout two weeks on the Adelaide International — though that win was in opposition to World No. 11 and final yr’s Australian Open runner up Danielle Collins.
And aside from a remaining on the Slovenia Open, Rybakina has struggled, going 13-10 since her Wimbledon triumph.
She has additionally by no means made it out of the primary week of the Australian Open, her greatest a 3rd spherical end in 2020.
