Mid-Season Roundup: Injury Issues

There was a running theme throughout this year’s Wimbledon and unfortunately it was not a positive one. We have become accustomed to talking about the impact of the weather at Wimbledon over the years and the impact it can have as a third player, but this year the spotlight was on a different issue: injury!

Indeed, it was the talk of the first round as the centre court crowd saw two consecutive mid-match retirements when both Klizan and Dolgopolov succumbed to injuries they had carried into the tournament. Under current rules a player may not take a medical time out in circumstances where the issue already existed before the match. Hence, they had no option but to concede defeat….. Or did they?

I only ask because the decision sparked a lot of controversy! For those that didn’t hear the discussions, a first round Wimbledon loser gets around £30,000 (maybe as much as £35,000- I honestly don’t remember) for participating in the tournament: regardless of the score-line. This, of course, includes those that start the match but cannot finish it. Fair enough? Well, yeah because we shouldn’t really be punishing a player if they are too ill to complete a match. After all, they have paid for the necessary travel and accommodation already so it would be tragic if they came to entertain (even if only for 30 minutes) and left making a financial loss! Yet, the spectators who buy tickets are the ones paying that wage in the first place. Imagine the excitement of having a ticket for the most prestigious court in tennis on a day where you expect to see the world number one, Angelique Kerber, followed by 3 time Wimbledon champion, Novak Djokovic, and topped off with serious GOAT contender and 18 time grand slam champion, Roger Federer!!!!! You are surely expecting a minimum of 4 hours action. So imagine the buzz kill when you get only a set and a half from each men’s match which is barely enjoyable anyway as , instead of watching genuinely competitive high quality tennis, you find yourself wincing at the look of pain on the face of a player you know shouldn’t be on the court. Fun.

Understandably, they felt short-changed and the tournament officials tried to compensate by moving the Wozniaki match (which actually ended up being very entertaining) onto centre. Now, this was only a major disappointment because both incidents happened to occur on the same court within an hour of each other and, had the players in question sustained the injury during the match, sympathy would be running high. But we know that this wasn’t the case and when they got up that morning that, realistically, they must have known they couldn’t compete. So that raises the question, why should a player be given money to disappoint fans and rob a fully fit lucky loser of the chance to experience Wimbledon?? Harsh criticism followed from many.

Yet I think we need to keep a little perspective! Sure we can be cynical of their intentions but we need to remember that these players aren’t the big 4. They don’t make $12 million in a season because they don’t win grand slams or masters 1000s, 500s or even 250s every other week!! They are not rich. Can some of them really afford to pass up on an offer of £30,000 by taking the noble decision to withdraw before the match? Players have coaches to pay just like we have bills to pay. Moreover, how do we know that these players didn’t genuinely believe that they might be able to finish? Even if they didn’t, what if they were hoping their opponent might also need to pull out. It’s not unheard of for players to get injured during the match: especially on slippery grass courts! Who wants to withdraw pre match only to find out the opponent they would have faced didn’t complete the match either? And we seem to be assuming it all revolves around money….is it not possible they wanted the ranking points just as much as the £30,000???

Still, the issue remains that a record 7 men’s first round matches ended prematurely at the tournament: something that officials will be keen to avoid at the upcoming US Open. So what’s the solution? Some people mentioned the idea of a medical examination but that was quickly swept away as ex-players insisted only the player can know their own capability to perform. Others suggested first round prize money is too high and should be reduced!!! Really? When the player council spent the best part of 3 years trying to get it increased in the first place!

Although it kills me to admit it, John McEnroe made what I consider to be a fair suggestion….*reactions of shock only*….if a player has earned the right to automatic entry to the main draw but is carrying an injury which they suspect might stop them completing their first round then they should be offered around half of the prize money (£15,000) to withdraw and, instead of a walkover, the spot should be given to a lucky loser.

This would still rely on honesty from the players, of course, and many might question whether it is over the top to pay someone to not turn up but it’s the best suggestion I have heard so far…