Lower than every week in the past, Tennis Australia was lauding Arina Rodionova as Australia’s new top-ranked feminine.
“Arina Rodionova soars to a brand new career-high on this week’s WTA Tour ladies’s singles rankings,” the game’s governing physique trumpeted in an announcement.
“The 33-year-old rises 20 locations to peak at world No.112, bettering her earlier career-best of No.116 achieved in October 2017.”
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Sadly for Rodionova and her followers, the profession milestone wasn’t sufficient to get her a wildcard for subsequent month’s Australian Open.
Beginning the yr ranked a lowly 302nd, Rodionova reeled off seven ITF singles titles and a powerful 78-26 win-loss report to maneuver inside attain of the highest 100.
When the primary spherical of wildcards had been introduced, nonetheless, Rodionova’s identify was nowhere to be seen.
As a substitute, Kimberly Birrell (ranked 113th), Olivia Gadecki (127) and Taylah Preston (202) had been handed spots in the principle draw.
All three are comparatively younger and inexperienced, with Birrell aged 25, Gadecki 21 and Preston simply 18 years of age, whereas Rodionova turns 34 on December 15.
None of Birrell, Gadecki or Preston have a profile pic on their bio pages on the official WTA Tour web site (Rodionova does, for the report) and the wildcard choice was slammed by outstanding tennis author Ben Rothenberg.
“Rodionova wasn’t given a wildcard within the preliminary batch, which appears means harsh for a rustic’s No.1,” Rothenberg posted on X.
Daria Saville, Astra Sharma and Australia’s world No. 1 doubles participant Storm Hunter had been additionally ignored.
“It’s so annoying that solely one in all Daria Saville, Arina Rodionova or Storm Hunter can get that final remaining wildcard that isn’t the reciprocal ones,” was one touch upon X.
“Two of them should come via qualies. Australian ladies’s tennis actually is in the course of a darkish age.”
One other X consumer wrote in all capitals “WHERE IS RODIONOVA?” to which one other consumer replied “Tennis Australia should actually hate her”.
Tennis Australia didn’t reply when contacted for remark.
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