Sharapova will have to wait to see if she is handed chance for crack at £2.2m prize

The club’s sub-committee, which will be chaired by former British No 1 Tim Henman, will then meet and make a decision on Sharapova, as long as the Russian does not qualify by ranking and submits a wild-card application.

Sharapova returned from a 15-month suspension last month following a positive test for meldonium and is due to play two more events before the May 22 cut-off date for direct entry into the Wimbledon main draw.

She is ranked 262nd in the world and could qualify by right if she does well at the clay-court events in Madrid and Rome.

Brook suggested Sharapova’s status as a former champion – she won Wimbledon in 2004 – would be one of the factors taken into account, along with any decision made by the French Open, which starts later this month.

A number of players, including Andy Murray, have expressed the view that Sharapova should not be given any special privileges after returning from a punishment for doping.

Wimbledon competitors will receive £31.6m in total, a 12.5 per cent increase from last year. The singles champions will each pocket £2.2m, a 10 per cent rise, while first-round losers will see a jump from £30,000 to £35,000.