Wimbledon seeking legal action against ATP and WTA as players set to 'leave SW19 ASAP'

Wimbledon could take legal action against the ATP and WTA in response to both tours' decision to strip the tournament of all ranking points. The tours removed the points as a sanction for the All England Club's ban on Russian and Belarusian players, and Wimbledon is now exploring the option of legal action, as it has been revealed players are planning to spend as little time at the tournament as possible with no points on offer.

The tennis world has been rocked by the ATP and WTA Tours' decision to remove ranking points from Wimbledon this year, with some players planning to boycott the tournament if they can't earn points while many have admitted they were not consulted in the decision-making process. And Wimbledon itself is now exploring the possibility of taking legal action against the tours, according to The Times.

The ATP and WTA made the decision in response to Wimbledon banning Russian and Belarusian players from The Championships this year, but the tours have an agreement with the tournament to award ranking points to players for their performance at the grass-court Grand Slam. And Wimbledon could be joined by the three other Majors - the Australian Open, French Open and US Open - who are considering offering support to the tournament if it takes action.

The news comes as players have reportedly been shortening their planned stays in London so they can collect their prize money and "leave as soon as possible," according to Jon Werthiem. "FWIW....Multiple players have cancelled their Wimbledon rental homes," the sports journalist tweeted on Wednesday.

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"I'm told it's not because they are boycotting but because they want to economise. They'll