Serena Williams 25th seed for Wimbledon despite being outside top 32 in rankings

Serena WilliamsImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Serena Williams pulled out of the French Open in June because of injury

Wimbledon 2018

Venue: All England Club Dates: 2-15 July Starts: 11:30 BST

Coverage: Live across BBC TV, BBC Radio and the BBC Sport website with further coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app.

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams is the 25th seed for this year's tournament, despite being outside the top 32 in the rankings.

The 36-year-old American is continuing her return to action after giving birth to her first child in September.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles winner, has played only three tournaments in the past 12 months and is ranked 183rd in the world.

Slovakia's world number 32 Dominika Cibulkova has not been seeded.

On Tuesday, Cibulkova said it would not be fair for Williams to be seeded ahead of her.

"I don't think it's the right thing to do," said the 29-year-old. "I think it's just not fair. I have tried and I should be seeded. If they put her in front of me then I will lose my spot that I am supposed to have."

Media caption,

Serena Williams 'deserves to be seeded'

Simona Halep is the top seed, with Roger Federer her counterpart in the men's draw.

Federer is seeded a place higher than his world ranking, with world number one Rafael Nadal the second seed.

With the exception of Williams, all of the women are seeded in line with their WTA ranking.

Williams is seeded one place lower than Maria Sharapova, who she was due to meet in the fourth round of the French Open before pulling out because of injury. Her sister Venus is the ninth seed.

British number ones Johanna Konta and Kyle Edmund - the latter of whom is the world number 18 - are seeded 22nd in their respective draws.

Because of different rules in the two draws, Andy Murray cannot be seeded as he sits outside the top 32 in the rankings.

Britain's three-time Grand Slam champion is returning from a hip injury.

Media caption,

Murray beats Wawrinka to win for the first time in a year

How do the seedings work?

The Wimbledon seedings for the men are determined by the ATP ranking list of the top 32 players, but can be rearranged based on an individual's grass-court record.

Ranking points are counted from competition in the two years running up to the tournament.

For the women's game, the seeding order follows the WTA ranking list, but the All England Club reserves the right to make a change if it "is necessary to produce a balanced draw". In 2017, no changes were made.

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

Williams will not have to face another seeded player before the third round, but at that stage should expect to run into one of the top eight in the world. So the protection a seeding offers her will be limited.

Cibulkova's view that the decision is unfair is shared - both privately and publicly - by very many WTA players, so the All England Club's decision will not be universally popular.

But the committee clearly feel Williams is a unique case: an extraordinary champion who has only been able to play three events in the past year after giving birth to her first child in September.

As well as Nadal and Federer switching places at the top of the rankings, Marin Cilic moves up to number three and Novak Djokovic is up five to 12.

Milos Raonic is this week's highest climber - up from 32 to 13.

Wimbledon 2018 seedings

Men's singles

Women's singles

1. Roger Federer

1. Simona Halep

2. Rafael Nadal

2. Caroline Wozniacki

3. Marin Cilic

3. Garbine Muguruza

4. Alexander Zverev

4. Sloane Stephens

5. Juan Martin del Potro

5. Elina Svitolina

6. Grigor Dimitrov

6. Caroline Garcia

7. Dominic Thiem

7. Karolina Pliskova

8. Kevin Anderson

8. Petra Kvitova

9. John Isner

9. Venus Williams

10. David Goffin

10. Madison Keys

11. Sam Querrey

11. Angelique Kerber

12. Novak Djokovic

12. Jelena Ostapenko

13. Milos Raonic

13. Julia Goerges

14. Roberto Bautista Agut

14. Daria Kasatkina

15. Diego Schwartzman

15. Elise Mertens

16. Nick Kyrgios

16. Coco Vandeweghe

17. Borna Coric

17. Ashleigh Barty

18. Lucas Pouille

18. Naomi Osaka

19. Jack Sock

19. Magdalena Rybarikova

20. Fabio Fognini

20. Kiki Bertens

21. Pablo Carreno Busta

21. Anastasija Sevastova

22. Kyle Edmund

22. Johanna Konta

23. Adrian Mannarino

23. Barbora Strycova

24. Richard Gasquet

24. Maria Sharapova

25. Kei Nishikori

25. Serena Williams

26. Hyeon Chung

26. Daria Gavrilova

27. Philipp Kohlschreiber

27. Carla Suarez Navarro

28. Denis Shapovalov

28. Anett Kontaveit

29. Damir Dzumhur

29. Mihaela Buzarnescu

30. Filip Krajinovic

30. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

31. Marco Cecchinato

31. Shuai Zhang

32. Fernando Verdasco

32. Agnieszka Radwanksa

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