Alize Cornet from France, a former world number 11 who lost in the second round, claimed on Thursday that lower-ranked players are not treated as equals to the big stars at Wimbledon.
The reigning champion Elena Rybakina ended Cornet’s 16th Wimbledon run by defeating her 6-2 7-6(2).
The 33-year-old, who is now ranked 74th and competing in a record-breaking 66 successive Grand Slams for women’s professional era, claimed she noticed the difference at the All England Club this year.
“It’s a different treatment on every Slam,” she said. “When I’m at home, in Roland Garros, I have priorities over the courts, I know everybody, I can ask when I want to play.
“I think the organisation does everything for the French player to be successful there.” She added, “Then in Wimbledon, you have a huge difference between the seeded players and the other players. This is not new. The difference of treatment and tickets.”
When asked for more details, Cornet stated that she had only been given two tickets for her first round triumph on an outdoor court but had got 40 for her match against Rybakina on Centre Court, which has 15,000 seats.
“That explains everything,” Cornet told reporters. “Nobody could come. I couldn’t even invite one of my best friends who was there. Two tickets on the outside court, it’s too little.
“You need to give a little more credit to players that play on the outside courts. This tournament exists because of all the players, not only the ones that play on the big courts.”
Cornet claimed that the U.S. Open and Australian Open were fairer, but she added that moving up the rankings was the best way to get priority treatment.