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Venus Williams calls out Wimbledon organizers over court inequality

Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams played her second-round match in a more intimate setting.
Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams played her second-round match in a more intimate setting than she is used to (AP).

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.

Thursday afternoon, fans packed into Court 18 to watch Williams, who is seeded eighth, earn a tough three-set victory over her young Greek challenger.

Friday’s order of play, which was released Thursday evening, has Williams featured on Court No. 1 and her younger sister Serena on Centre Court. Still, those two matches are the only women’s contests to take place on Wimbledon’s two main stages.

“I’m sure that the WTA supervisors have done their best to, you know, try to make the schedule equal,” Williams said. “But also the All England Club has to have a culture where they want to have equality, as well. They need to want to pursue that. I would love to see where we don’t have to talk about this any more in the press conference.”