Venus Williams has five Wimbledon titles and is one of the most celebrated tennis players in history, but apparently that wasn’t enough to warrant a spot on one of the tournament’s main courts.
Tournament organizers placed Williams’ second-round match against Maria Sakkari Thursday on Court 18, one of Wimbledon’s smallest show courts.
While Williams was battling outside, fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori and Julien Benneteau got the Centre-Court stage. Nishikori has never won a major title or advanced past Wimbledon’s fourth round.
“I’m willing to play anywhere, any time,” Williams told reporters. “If all players have to play outside, all players should have to play outside. But there shouldn’t be exceptions or any inequality to it … We’d like to see equal amount of matches.”
Four of the day’s six matches on Centre Court and Court No. 1 featured men. Of those eight competitors, only world No. 2 Andy Murray has a Grand Slam to his name.
“Maybe some of the past men’s champions wouldn’t have played on Court 18,” Murray told reporters. “In general they do a pretty good job of trying to put the best matches for the fans.
“I guess they take that into consideration, as well, like what the best matches of the day are, rather than it just being the big names that play on the big courts.”
Williams has long been a champion of equality on the pro tour, and worked to ensure equal prize money at Wimbledon and the French Open.
