No ranking points at Wimbledon: What Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka and other top players have said about the decision made by WTA and ATP

The 2022 Wimbledon Championships are slated to go ahead without any ranking points, leaving the entire tennis world divided. The ongoing French Open has been completely dominated by the news, with every player being asked for their thoughts on the matter at press conferences.

It all started with the decision made by the All England Club to bar Belarusian and Russian athletes from Wimbledon due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. After lengthy discussions, the men's and women's tennis bodies retaliated by stripping the tournament of ranking points.

Pundits and fans on social media did not take kindly to the announcement, bemoaning the interference of politics in sports. They were also unhappy about the consequences for many players, since their rankings will be heavily affected by of the loss of points from SW19.

It remains to be seen whether players will still make the trip to the tournament, with many already hinting they might skip the event and take a much-needed break in the middle of the season.

However, it is likely that the top athletes will still show up at the tournament, given its prestige. On that note, here's what some of the biggest tennis players on the planet have said about the fiasco:

#1 "I'm glad that players got together with ATP and showed Wimbledon that there are going to be some consequences" - Novak Djokovic

Defending champion Novak Djokovic has sided with the players against Wimbledon

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has sided with the ATP, saying that Wimbledon deserves to face the consequences for its decision to deny Russian and Belarusian players their fair due.

"On a personal, individual level, I have been very negatively affected by that. But I have been speaking with management and the president of ATP and some of the council members actually in the last few days," Djokovic said. "I'm glad that players got together with ATP and showed to the Grand Slam that, you know, when there is a mistake happening, and there was from the Wimbledon side, then we have to show that there are going to be some consequences."

The Serb stands to lose 2,000 ranking points from the tournament this year, making his stance on the issue all the more admirable. The 20-time Grand Slam champion said that he did not care about ranking points or prize money and that mutual respect was necessary between the organization and players.

"You know, I don't look at it through the lens of points or prize money," Djokovic added. "For me, it's something else. But again, there has to be some standards or criteria, some respect, mutual respect, I think."

---

#2 "I don't have a clear opinion, hopefully ATP and Wimbledon can be together and sit together and negotiate a better future for both sides" - Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal, on the other hand, chose to sit on the fence, remarking that he did not have a "clear opinion." The Spaniard said he hoped the ATP and Wimbledon would sit together and find a more amicable solution in the coming days, but refused to side with either party.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion further added that it would be impossible to make everyone happy irrespective of the final decision and hoped that players would accept it regardless.

"I don't have a clear opinion. In my personal opinion, have good reasons to make the decisions that they make today. Hopefully ATP and Wimbledon can be together and sit together and negotiate a better future for both sides," Nadal said. "At the end, in this world, is necessary, somebody who makes decisions. If I am agree or not agree with that, today doesn't matter. The board, the ATP board make a decision. We need to accept that decision."

#3 "For me, it's kind of like -- I don't want to say pointless but I'm the type of player that gets motivated by seeing my ranking go up" - Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka is not too thrilled about the idea of making the trip to the UK

Naomi Osaka is one of the most high-profile players to have hinted that she might be skipping Wimbledon due to a lack of ranking points. The four-time Grand Slam champion remarked that she was very motivated by climbing up the rankings, implying that playing the tournament is not that high a priority for her anymore.

Although the Japanese admitted that the All England Club's intentions were good, she was of the opinion that their execution was severely lacking.

"I would love to go just to get some experience on the grass court, but like at the same time, for me, it's kind of like -- I don't want to say pointless, no pun intended but I'm the type of player that gets motivated by, like, seeing my ranking go up or like, you know, stuff like that," Osaka said. "So I think the intention was really good, but the execution is kind of all over the place."

#4 "It is what it is, I cannot change some decisions, both about ATP and Wimbledon" - Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev is one of the affected parties in this fiasco, but in characteristic fashion, the Russian appeared unbothered about the proceedings. Interestingly, Medvedev has a chance to become World No. 1 even without playing Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic will lose 2000 points from the event while Medvedev will lose only 180 points, which will put him ahead of the Serb in the rankings.

The reigning US Open champion touched on the issue, noting that it was beyond his control and that he would accept the outcome no matter what. While he admitted that the idea of becoming World No. 1 despite not playing was "strange," Medvedev praised the ATP for its logical decision making.

"I found it very logical what [the ATP] say at least. This is what I didn't find in Wimbledon explanations. Very strange [that I can become No. 1]. I'm just going to prepare for the next tournaments and, you know, just follow what's happening there," Medvedev said. "There are no points, I become No. 1, well, great for me. If there are points, I cannot become No. 1, I'm going to be gutted. It is what it is. I cannot change some decisions, both about ATP and Wimbledon.

---

#5 "Wimbledon will never be an exhibition and will never feel like an exhibition" - Andy Murray

Andy Murray doesn't think Wimbledon will be affected too much by the ATP's decision

Andy Murray isn't currently at the French Open and escaped the barrage of questions about Wimbledon. However, the Brit took to Twitter to express his views, siding with the organizers of his home tournament.

Murray was of the opinion that most of the spectators do not care about the ranking points, implying that players shouldn't either and should show up at the tournament because of its reputation. According to the three-time Grand Slam champion, no matter what happens, the event will never be relegated to exhibition status, as many pundits predict.

"I’d hazard a guess that most people watching on centre court in a few weeks time wouldn’t know or care about how many ranking points a player gets for winning a 3rd round match," Murray said. "But I guarantee they will remember who wins. Wimbledon will never be an exhibition and will never feel like an exhibition."