SUMMARY
- The wildcards for the Australian Open main draw were announced recently.
- Fans were baffled to see the top-ranked Aussie player overlooked in favor of her compatriot.
The Australian Open is just a few days away, and the anticipation around the tournament is only increasing. This is a busy time for players as they make last-minute preparations for the first major of the year. However, the start of the season has also brought heartbreak for Arina Rodionova.
Arina is the top-ranked Australian player in the WTA. The 34-year-old has been playing well, but her hard work has been overlooked. Recently, the organizers of the Grand Slam announced the wildcards for the main draw. Unfortunately, Rodionova could not earn a wildcard and will have to play through three qualifying rounds to make it to the main draw.
Arina came close to breaking into the top 100 this year but fell one win short at Brisbane International. While the wildcard snub might have hurt anyone else, Arina is only just motivated. She took to social media and confessed that “the satisfaction of achieving it all absolutely on your own, despite all this stuff… it is worth it.”
I wish I could say I am surprised 😅
But honestly. The satisfaction of achieving it all absolutely on your own, despite all this stuff… it is worth it. I will see you guys at AO qualies in couple of days and I am PUMPED for this 😈 LFG https://t.co/H5zC48KYi6— Arina Rodionova (@arinarodionova) January 5, 2024
Several Australian players have gotten wildcard entries into the main draw this year. Tennis Australia awarded its final discretionary wildcard to Daria Saville instead of Rodionova.
This move from Tennis Australia has baffled fans. Several users have openly wondered why the governing body chose Saville over Rodionova. One fan even commented that it “seems personal.” Here are a few reactions to the news.
You should have got the last AO wildcard. I saw your match against Kenin. Loved watching you play. Good luck in the qualies hope to see you in the main draw.
— Vicki Mainard 🇦🇺🕹🏀🐈 (@vmainard) January 5, 2024
So Tennis Australia doesn’t like her? Seems personal.
— kathy_c62 (@kathy_c62) January 5, 2024
Yeah, earning it will be a huge achievement. But it’s weird they did not give their #1 a wild card to the country’s Slam? 🥺 #AUSOpen
— ULTM8SerenaWilliamsf (@ultm8swfans) January 6, 2024
While this is a tough situation for Arina Rodionova to be in, she has much to look forward to. Given the way she has been playing, she will fancy her chances too.
How did Arina Rodionova fare in the lead-up to the Australian Open?
The Australian ace has been playing really well and slowly climbing up the ranking ladder. At the time of the cut-off for the Slam, Arina was ranked 112 and has since risen to 105.
Rodionova had a spectacular run at the ITF level in 2023. She collected seven titles and won 78 matches along the way. In the process, she rose from being ranked 302th in the world to nearly breaking into the top 100.
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Rodionova carried her rich vein of form into Brisbane, her first WTA tournament in two years. She defeated Martina Trevisan and former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. Unfortunately, she fell short against Mirra Andreeva in the third round.
“If it was up to me, I would give it [Open wildcard] to myself but there’s other people involved. Hopefully they like the way I’m playing this week,” she said in Brisbane (via The Guardian).
While this is just another hurdle to get to the top, Arina Rodionova is up for the challenge. The Australian Open is set to commence on January 14.