Martina Navaratilova has taken aim at Naomi Osaka after the Japanese star threatened to boycott Wimbledon with the tournament now stripped of ranking points.
Following the announcement last month that Russian and Belarusian players would be banned from playing at SW19, a bitter row has escalated. The measure was reportedly imposed after the UK Government told tournament organisers that players from either nation couldn't compete under a neutral banner.
The decision infuriated the ATP and WTA, as well as many of the game's leading players, with the All England Tennis Club threatened with legal action. Then this week, the saga took another explosive twist when the ATP and the WTA confirmed players would not be able to gain ranking points from its blue riband grass-court event.
It prompted former world No.1 Osaka to suggest say she would struggle for self-motivation without ranking points on the line. Speaking to reporters after her first-round loss at the French Open, the four-time Grand Slam champion argued the tournament was less prestigious without ranking points attached.
"I would love to go to get some experience on the grass court, but I’m the type of player who gets motivated by seeing my ranking go up," she said. "I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points it’ll be more like an exhibition.
"I know this isn’t true, but my brain just feels like that way and whenever I think of something like an exhibition I just can’t go at it 100%. I didn’t even make my decision yet, but I’m leaning more towards not playing, given the current circumstances."
Osaka's views were met with bemusement by the legendary Navratilova, who hit back at the star when she appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored : "First of all I couldn't care less if there were no points given," she said.
"I always played for the trophies, not the points and not the money. So for me it was Wimbledon and nothing else, everything else came in second," The Czech-born icon claimed there was a time when she didn't even know her tournament win at SW19 had taken her to World No 1 until told in a press conference.
"So the points, it's not an exhibition," she continued. "I don't understand that view, that players wouldn't play because there are no points. You are playing for computer ranking? I just wanted to hold that trophy, that wonderful rose dish."
Navratilova, 65, previously blasted Wimbledon bosses for imposing bans, claiming the sanction on Russians and Belarusians left her 'devastated'. Her words have been echoed by Novak Djokovic, and a host of other leading players.
However, French player Benoit Paire this week launched a scathing attack on the ATP for deciding to strip Wimbledon of points, accusing them of "defending Russia more than players." British star Dan Evans also said the ATP had not been 'transparent' in their decision-making process.
And Andy Murray has also moved to oppose Osaka's view that the lack of ranking points lowered the prestige of Wimbledon. He made an impassioned plea on social media, claiming fans would not care about ranking points when they were watching the tournament.
