Serena Williams Seeded 25th for Wimbledon Despite World Ranking of 183
Serena Williams has been seeded 25th for Wimbledon 2018 despite her current WTA world ranking of 183.
The tennis icon returned to competitive action in March following the birth of her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. in September last year. Williams played in the recent French Open before pulling out with an injury at the last-16 stage.
As a result of her time away from the sport, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has watched her ranking fall, although as reported by BBC Sport, organisers at the All England Club have decided to award the American a spot as one of the 32 seeds in the women's singles draw.
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Simona Halep, the current world No. 1, is the top seed in the women's bracket, whereas Roger Federer leads the way in the men's draw.
Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times provided the seedings in full for both sides of the draw:
"Full #Wimbledon 2018 seedings.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 27, 2018"
Serena Williams being inserted at #25 is the only deviation from the WTA rankings on the women's side. pic.twitter.com/bqpOOl10dx
As noted in the report, the other remaining 32 women are seeded in line with their WTA standings. Dominika Cibulkova, who is ranked 32 in the world, will miss out on a seeding as a result of Williams' inclusion.
Ahead of the confirmation, the Slovakian made it clear she didn't think seeding Williams was correct, per BBC.
"I don't think it's the right thing to do," said Cibulkova. "I think it's just not fair. I have tried and I should be seeded. If they put her in front of me then I will lose my spot that I am supposed to have."
As relayed by the Guardian, Wimbledon organisers tend to abide by the official WTA rankings, although it's noted in their guidelines that changes can be made that are "necessary to produce a balanced draw."
BBC Sport's Russell Fuller outlined what this means for Williams and noted the reaction to this decision is likely to be varied:
Williams has immense pedigree at SW19. The veteran has been a dominant force on the grass, winning the title at Wimbledon seven times, most recently in 2016.
The 36-year-old appeared in decent form at Roland Garros last month, although the much-anticipated meeting with Maria Sharapova was cancelled due to her injury.
