"It's the usual" - Downgraded Rafael Nadal laments Wimbledon settlement
While Roger Federer benefits from the special settlement formula at Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal is one of the sufferers.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Jun 26, 2019, 11:26 am
Because if other tournaments are strictly based on ATP ranking, Wimbledon is an exception. In the past, a special committee determined the players and their order. Grass field specialists like Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg or Patrick Rafter were gladly ranked higher than their world ranking position would have justified, clay court experts like Thomas Muster, who never won a match in Wimbledon, were passed through to the rear. Even then, some players protested or threatened to boycott.
Since 2002 Wimbledon has been using a special formula. To be added:
- the current ATP points from the Monday before the tournament starts (i.e. from June 24)
- 100 percent of the points scored on grass in the past 12 months
- 75 percent of the points won for the best lawn tournament in the previous 12 months
One of the victims usually: Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard has only played on grass in Wimbledon in recent years. Result: Although Nadal is currently second in the world rankings, he is replaced by third in the world rankings Roger Federer at Wimbledon.
Expert Cahill: Wimbledon settlement dates from a different time
"It's the same every year," said Nadal in an interview with the Spanish broadcaster Movistar . "Wimbledon is the only tournament of the year where you can do whatever you want in this regard."
But Nadal also gave the usual pragmatist. He had to do his best and fight to win his games. "The only thing that doesn't seem right to me is that only Wimbledon does this. It affects not only me but also others. They don't respect the status that the players earned during the season."
Nadal's "downgrading" also causes discussions in the wider field of tennis experts. One of Darren Cahill's arguments against the Wimbledon formula: It was created at a time when there were still clear experts for certain surfaces - and many clay court players had avoided Wimbledon. "This is no longer the case," said Simona Halep's ex-coach.
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