EXPLAINER: Why will Russia’s Ukraine war affect Wimbledon?

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

The usual trophies and prize money will be on the line for Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and other top players at Wimbledon, but there is a significant change there this year. That’s because no one will be able to earn ranking points at the All England Club when play begins there on June 27. Computerized tour rankings have been around since the early 1970s and are a valuable currency in tennis. Tournaments without rankings are considered exhibition events. But the WTA and ATP professional tours decided to withdraw their ranking points from Wimbledon in response to the All England Club’s ban on players from Russia and Belarus over the invasion of Ukraine.