SERENA WILLIAMS could be seeded at Wimbledon to stop her being penalised for having a baby.
Since returning to tennis earlier this year after giving birth to daughter Alexis last September, Williams has enjoyed a protected ranking of No 1 that guarantees her entry into tournaments.
But the current world No 449 does NOT have a protected seeding, which leaves her in danger of facing a top player in the first round of events, including Wimbledon.
Now All England Club chiefs have confirmed that they could use a special section in their rules to give Williams a seeding.
An AELTC spokesperson said: “The seeding order follows the WTA ranking list, except where in the opinion of the committee, a change is necessary to produce a balanced draw.
“Therefore it is reasonable to state that the committee would have the discretion to seed a player for The Championships, regardless of their WTA ranking.”
Williams has argued in favour of protected seedings for women players returning from pregnancy.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion told the New York Times: “I think it’s more of a protection for women to have a life.
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“You shouldn’t have to wait to have a baby until you retire. If you want to have a baby and take a few months off or a year off and then come back, you shouldn’t have to be penalized for that. Pregnancy is not an injury.”
All England Club chairman Philip Brook said: “It’s totally different from an injury. We have empathy and sympathy with the point being made.”
Wimbledon’s rules for the men’s singles, however, allow only for changes in the seedings according to a special weighting for a player’s grass-court record – NOT to bump individuals way up the rankings.
That means that Andy Murray, who is preparing to return a long-term hip injury, could face reigning champion Roger Federer or another highly-ranked player in the first round at SW19.
All England bosses also announced a 7.6 per cent increase in prize money to a total of £34m.
The winners of the singles titles will each trouser £2.25m, up by 2.3 per cent, but the biggest increases, of over 10 per cent, will be for players losing in the opening four rounds.
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A first-round loser will now receive £39,000. But under new rules introduced across all Grand Slams, a player in the draw who is injured can withdraw and still receive half the cash, with the rest going to the lucky loser who replaces them.
This is deter crocked players from going on court just for the money, following a rash of retirements at Wimbledon and other events last year.
If a player retires during a first-round match and organisers believe they should not have started the contest, some or all of the prize money can be withheld.
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