Wimbledon wildcards 2023 - women

foobarbaz · Strong Club Player

Wimbledon wildcards 2023 - women

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

foobarbaz wrote:
I wonder if a deal was done with the US re. WC's for the US Open, given the US players Venus Williams WC and Liv Hoyde QWC getting them for Wimbledon?

Hovde is the reigning girls junior champion, dont they get given them as standard? The boys champion also got one and he isnt American...

Blue_Belle · Club Coach

indiana wrote:
foobarbaz wrote:
Andy Parker wrote:
I wonder what Lily Miyazaki thinks of Sonay getting a wildcard ahead of herself - I would guess she can't be happy and I am really surprised that the winners of Ilkley and Surbiton won't get one - for me this is a massive U-turn from previous years, when the winners of those events always got one (if their ranking meant they needed it.

No-one knows what is debated by the wildcard committee, but it looks like a seismic shift away from awarding 2 places to the winners of those events, and I suspect if it has happened, that in future years, the winners of those events may not get one. It is something that has begged me for years, as I feel we should do everything to help the best British players progress, the same as every other Grand Slam host does.
Sonay represented GB in the BJK Cup tie against the Czechs in Prague (though didn't get to play) in April 2022, so perhaps that was taken into account.
As I said I have no issue with Sonay getting a WC before Lily. But I am not sure about any case for being chosen for a WC because she was previously chosen for a BJK Cup squad ( more than a year ago anyway )?? Did Lily make herself unavailable?

When did Lily change to GB exactly? Was she even able to play BJK?

markymc1983 · Club Coach

JonH comes home wrote:
foobarbaz wrote:
I wonder if a deal was done with the US re. WC's for the US Open, given the US players Venus Williams WC and Liv Hoyde QWC getting them for Wimbledon?
Hovde is the reigning girls junior champion, dont they get given them as standard? The boys champion also got one and he isnt American...

And the wild card for Venus Williams - shes a 5 times former champion and fan favourite. Nothing to do with nationality

-- Edited by markymc1983 on Saturday 24th of June 2023 12:56:29 AM

Lambda · Challenger level

I genuinely do not understand why Sonay has been upgraded to the main draw. Sure, she beat the World #110 since the initial announcement, but Bolsova had a career 1-4 record on grass before this week. It's hardly worthy of an upgrade. Of her grass results, the only ones that would have any weight would be the 2 qualifying wins in Nottingham, but they were well before any decisions on initial WCs were taken. And her ranking has fallen away a lot over recent weeks to be outside the top 300. Sorry, but I don't see any justification for the upgrade. Certainly I don't see why she should be placed above Wickmayer, or if they win their events this week Bjorkland or Krueger.

As for the unused qualifying WC. I've said before I think, in the round, Millie deserves it. But she probably didn't request one, and may not have been on the committee's radar for them to consider her otherwise. But if she was considered, stepping back, looking at her grass court season in isolation I can see an argument as to why to not to give a WC. She hasn't beaten anyone in the top 250 and she hasn't qualified in any of the tournaments. And not been on the initial list it would be hard to justify giving a late WC when she lost in the 1st round of the play-offs. But she did take a set of the World #72, she's been competitive in her losses, she is top 20 in the NCAA Div 1 rankings, a NCAA Div 1 Championships SF having beaten the #1 ranked woman on her way there, and she has broken her college's record for most wins in a season, perhaps no mean feat when you have a WTA ranked #99 on your college team. But the 5 with MD WCs, Sonay, Hannah and Mimi took the 8 LTA recommendations (Isa through a separate agreement). Perhaps the LTA shouldn't have wasted a recommendation on, say, Boulter who was guaranteed a WC anyway and recommended Millie instead, as clearly with the WCs they've given her, they recognise her achievements and potential.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Just my tuppence ha'penney worth:

I find it really strange that Sonay was upgraded. Especially at the expense of Wickmayer. I've always been a big fan, and she's very young, and has a lot of potential, but as Lambda says, I don't see what has changed.

If I were part of the Belgian federation, I would be putting in a complaint. And, yes, the LTA may well be within their rights to deny the Surbiton winner one, I 100% assume they are, but that's not the point. And it's not as though Wicmkayer is chopped liver either, she used to be WTA 12, for goodness sake.

And upgrading Sonay, to 'steal' the place off Wickmayer, and then leaving the spare space unused in qualis, seems really bizarre.

(NB I have zero problem with Sonay getting one over Lily - yes, she's lower ranked but that's the same as George Loffhagen and Arthur getting one over Billy, or Charlie, or whatever. It's not just rank that matters)

I also think Sonay may well do better in qualis. I'm not sure that high visilibity is what she needs at the moment, i may be wrong, but she was like a rabbit in the headlights last year and, though she seems to be growing in confidence, as to be expected, as she gets older, I still think qualis might be better.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

I think to add to it - if it had generally been the prevailing expectation in players that winning one of the warm up events would get you in, then it may well harm the entry for those events in the future. I dont know if it will, just throwing out there, would you enter ilkley or try for Eastbourne qualies instead say ?

jb288 · Satellite level

To be fair to Sonay, she has beaten 6 players ranked above her on grass, including 2 in the top 125, whereas Katie B has beaten 0 of either category (Which is not to demean her incredible achievement at all). However, like others, I'm very uncomfortable with the idea of reneging on what appears to be a gentlemen's agreement. Hopefully not a situation that will rear its head again, due to the weird rankings clumping we had this year, but hopefully there will be full transparency next year.

DF · Tennis legend

jb288 wrote:
but hopefully there will be full transparency next year.

There is never full transparency

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Somebody said in one of the previous years that it's a cost saving thing

That the LTA has players on LTA programmes that give them £80k approx in annual allowance. And that if they're then awarded a Wimbly wildcard, aka £55k, that money is taken off the £80k. Because they've been 'given' it another way.

And so every wildcard for anyone on the full programme saves the LTA £55k

I've no idea but I remember someone writing it

Nix · Futures level

Personally I disagree with the upset over Wickmayer. She's 33, only won two main draw GS matches in the last four years and has $5 million in prize money over her career. I'd much rather see the boost to some young player who hasn't had those opportunities get the call. I don't think she's a household name among many people going to Wimbledon, so I doubt if anyone outside real tennis fans would be rushing to see her play. I get the gentleman's agreement thing but maybe they're looking to sever that from now on. I imagine Surbiton will still attract a decent number of players as a warm up to the grass court season, and for Wickmayer it's been a bit of a rankings boost for her.

-- Edited by Nix on Saturday 24th of June 2023 11:47:06 AM

DavidC · Tennis legend

I don't have inside knowledge but one possible explanation is that during discussions over the Eastbourne draw size the LTA pointed out that dropping from a 48 to 32 draw would mean losing a wildcard - and as a result of that the WTA arranged with Bad Homburg that one wildcard there would go to an LTA nomination. As mentioned above by Lambda that was almost certainly earmarked for Katie S. Assuming none of the other 4 with Wimbledon MDWC wanted to play in Bad Homburg rather than Eastbourne that meant the LTA would have to find someone else to take up the WC, who would have to be upgraded to a Wimbledon MDWC. Sonay and Lily are the only realistic options.

Winning a British grasscourt Challenger has not been a guarantee of a Wimbledon MDWC. It has just happened that most winners in recent years have been given them when required, seemingly because the WC Committee were short of other options they deemed suitable. I see no serious impact on entry lists for our Challenger events by having it clear that winning them will not guarantee a Wimbledon MDWC

Spireman · Club Coach

What happened previously when a womens quali WC was upgraded to MD in this sort of period? Someone got through a few rounds, got their ranking up, got into usopen qualifying etc etc. And Sonay has done well on grass, is hard to beat and incidentally (one of very few people) who had a decent record against Emma as a junior in lta tournaments. I'm pleased that some of the older young players, as it were, are getting opportunities as in the quali wildcard playoff semifinalists as well, and that it's not only the academy and other favoured younger ones getting chances. I do also think Millie R should have got quali WC, without needing to go in the playoffs though, as recognition of value of us college route and recognition of her achievements there. As for full transparency on anything to do with WC etc.....

-- Edited by Spireman on Saturday 24th of June 2023 10:05:01 AM

dodrade · Futures qualifying

I was slightly surprised Sonay got upgraded but of course British players should be priority as every other country looks after its own, why shouldn't we? The main risk is that Surbiton and Ilkley will get poorer fields in future if WC's are seemingly longer on offer to the winners. Hopefully next year we will have at least two players in the Top 100 so competition for them will be less severe.

I see no point in not using all QWC's available, suspect the AELTC are still haunted by the criticism they received over giving Alex Bogdanovic multiple chances which were all squandered.
Do they think none of the remaining British players are capable of winning even a single qualifying match?

indiana · Tennis legend

Lambda wrote:
I genuinely do not understand why Sonay has been upgraded to the main draw. Sure, she beat the World #110 since the initial announcement, but Bolsova had a career 1-4 record on grass before this week. It's hardly worthy of an upgrade. Of her grass results, the only ones that would have any weight would be the 2 qualifying wins in Nottingham, but they were well before any decisions on initial WCs were taken. And her ranking has fallen away a lot over recent weeks to be outside the top 300. Sorry, but I don't see any justification for the upgrade. Certainly I don't see why she should be placed above Wickmayer, or if they win their events this week Bjorkland or Krueger.

As for the unused qualifying WC. I've said before I think, in the round, Millie deserves it. But she probably didn't request one, and may not have been on the committee's radar for them to consider her otherwise. But if she was considered, stepping back, looking at her grass court season in isolation I can see an argument as to why to not to give a WC. She hasn't beaten anyone in the top 250 and she hasn't qualified in any of the tournaments. And not been on the initial list it would be hard to justify giving a late WC when she lost in the 1st round of the play-offs. But she did take a set of the World #72, she's been competitive in her losses, she is top 20 in the NCAA Div 1 rankings, a NCAA Div 1 Championships SF having beaten the #1 ranked woman on her way there, and she has broken her college's record for most wins in a season, perhaps no mean feat when you have a WTA ranked #99 on your college team. But the 5 with MD WCs, Sonay, Hannah and Mimi took the 8 LTA recommendations (Isa through a separate agreement). Perhaps the LTA shouldn't have wasted a recommendation on, say, Boulter who was guaranteed a WC anyway and recommended Millie instead, as clearly with the WCs they've given her, they recognise her achievements and potential.

I agree with having given Millie a Q WC before the play-offs. But they let that ship sail when she was put into the play-offs and then, while possible, I don't think it would have been right to later award a play-off R1 loser a Q WC.

By the way, I would find it astounding and shameful that if Millie hadn't requested a Q WC that she "may not have been on the committee's radar for them to consider otherwise" ?! Surely not. It is their job to be fully conversant with any possible candidates and wasn't Millie a WC to the play-offs on the back of her college triumph so it would have been even more natural to be fully looking into her? So I really do hope it just came down to an arguable judgement call.