By Jonathan Jurejko

 SEVEN-time champion Serena Williams could still be made the number one seed at Wimbledon this year, even if the American does not climb back into the world’s top 32 before the tournament.

Williams, 36, has dropped to 449th in the world since giving birth last year.

She believes players returning from pregnancy should have protected seedings as well as protected rankings.

Richard Lewis, chief executive of the All England Club, told BBC Sport that it was a “big decision”.

Lewis said initially he thought it was “unlikely” Williams would be given a seeding if she was ranked outside the 32 in the run-up to the tournament, which starts on July 2.

However, the club later issued a statement clarifying that its committee had the discretion to seed a player for the Championships regardless of their ranking.

“The seeding order follows the WTA ranking list, except where in the opinion of the committee, a change is necessary to produce a balanced draw,” the club said.

The seeding meeting is due to take place on June 26.

Williams, who gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr in September, has played four singles matches since returning to action, reaching the last 32 in Indian Wells before losing to older sister Venus then going out to Japan’s rising star Naomi Osaka in round one at Miami.

After Indian Wells, world number one Simona Halep said she believed Serena Williams “should have been given top seed”, while Miami tournament director James Blake said the seeding rules for players returning from pregnancy were “a kind of punishment”.

‘Murray can’t be given special seeding’

Despite the possibility for Williams, Britain’s two-time men’s champion Andy Murray will not be seeded if he is not ranked in the top 32 when the Championships begin in July.

Murray, 31, has not played competitively since losing in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year because of a hip injury.

The Scot had surgery in January and has been back training on court, but is extremely unlikely to climb back into the top 32 before Wimbledon.

“We take into account grass-court results from preceding years but the agreement we have with the ATP is based on computer formula,” Lewis said.

“Andy wouldn’t be put in the top 32 if he isn’t in that formula.”

It means Murray could be drawn against, for example, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal in the first round. (BBC Sport)