Roger Federer and Serena Williams to be unranked for the first time since 1997 post Wimbledon

Serena Williams and Roger Federer will be unranked for the first time since 1997.

While Federer hasn't been in action since becoming the oldest player to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year, Serena Williams made her comeback in singles at SW19 but lost her first-round match to Harmony Tan.

The former World No. 1 couldn't progress beyond the first round at Wimbledon last year as well, retiring midway through the match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich after she slipped on the grass and tore her hamstring.

Both tennis legends lost a substantial portion of the points they earned last year and after the conclusion of Wimbledon next Sunday, the duo will drop out of the rankings on Monday.

While Roger Federer skipped the event, Williams would've been able to hold on to a spot in the rankings had the ATP and the WTA not stripped Wimbledon of their ranking points. This came as a countermeasure against the All England Tennis Club's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from taking part in the competition on account of the war in Ukraine.

When Serena Williams and Roger Federer began their ranking journey in 1997

Federer became the oldest World No. 1 at age 36 in 2018

Both Roger Federer and Serena Williams began their ranking journey in 1997.

Serena, who was ranked No. 304 that year, went on to defeat Mary Pierce and Monica Seles, who were ranked No. 7 and No. 4 respectively.

The American made her top-10 debut in 1999 and became World No. 1 for the first time by winning the Wimbledon Championships in 2002 when she defeated sister Venus Williams.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer earned his first ranking point in 1997 by playing on the Satellite Circuit in his home country of Switzerland when he was 16 years old.

Three Grand Slam title wins in 2004 helped the Swiss maestro attain the coveted World No. 1 position for the first time ever.

Since ending the 2017 season as the top-ranked player, Federer has highlighted the significance of the ATP rankings and described it as "a really accurate barometer" of where a player stands when compared to peers.

“The ATP rankings is where it all starts for every player. It’s about getting your foot on the ladder and seeing your name on the computer rankings for the first time. I’ll never forget that moment and the excitement I felt after that Satellite. It was the start of a long journey to the top for me. I think that’s the great thing about our sport; the rankings provide a really accurate barometer of where you stand compared to your peers. The computer doesn’t lie. It’s amazing to think that 20 years later I’m still in the game and still with a chance to get to year-end No.1 in 2017. I never imagined having such longevity."

The 20-time Grand Slam champion became the oldest World No. 1 in 2018 when he was 36-years-old.

Both Roger Federer and Serena Williams have sought to curtail all speculation with regards to retirement. Federer will be back in action at the Laver Cup, which will be played in September.

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Also Check Out :-Wimbledon 2022 Results