CNN
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As another high-profile season for women’s tennis comes to a close, administrators face difficult questions, especially after a year-end tournament that was widely criticized by some of the biggest players.
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals, an end-of-year tournament that was supposed to celebrate the pinnacle of women’s tennis, instead drew the ire of some involved players and was even compared to the infamous Fyre Festival. According to British newspapers, the extravagant festival has turned into something outrageous.
The problem started before the ball hit. The venue in Cancun, Mexico, was still under construction weeks before the tournament, and players, including then-world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, complained of a lack of organization, citing rough main court and court surfaces. He accused the WTA of being disrespectful. The practice court felt “unsafe.”
Scheduling issues then arose, with the WTA Finals culminating just two days before the start of the International Tennis Federation (ITF)-sponsored BJK Cup in Seville, Spain.
This means that many of the sport’s top players have chosen not to compete in the latter, a year-end tournament known as the Tennis World Cup.
To make matters worse, the WTA Finals was delayed by a day due to prolonged bad weather. This meant that there were only 24 hours between the end of one tournament and the start of the other.
For example, Australian doubles star Storm Hunter had just arrived in Spain from Mexico on the morning of the first match of the BJK Cup.
Meanwhile, American star Jessica Pegula competed in 136 singles, doubles and mixed doubles matches in 2023, with her most recent match taking place on November 6th. This means they have played a game every 2.2 days on average since the beginning of the year.
Tennis great Billie Jean King, who helped found the WTA in 1973 and is currently an ambassador for the BJK Cup, told CNN that organizations need to work together more to prevent such conflicts in the future. He said there is.
“What the sports world needs to do is actually work together, and that’s really difficult,” she said ahead of the Cancun Games, adding that the BJK Cup confirmed its start date “well in advance” of the WTA Finals. Ta.
“I think we should think about the schedule together. I think we need to put our sports first. Think about the schedule with sports first.”
Women’s tennis has a wealth of world-class talent and the future of the sport looks secure in the hands of many promising young players.
But the WTA Finals, won by Poland’s Iga Świętek, will be remembered for the photos of the players looking miserable on court, braving inclement weather as the tournament was held outdoors on the coast of Mexico during hurricane season. Dew.
Sabalenka: “Maybe I’ll die laughing, or maybe I’ll cry” Said on X, formerly known as Twitter, in response to a montage of players playing in high winds and rain at this year’s event.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Aryna Sabalenka waits during the rain postponement at this year’s WTA Finals.
Current Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova also joined Sabalenka in condemning the tournament.
“We’ve been working hard all year to get to the finals and in the end we’re just disappointed,” Vondrousova said on Instagram after the loss.
“[The] The stadium is not ready for the game at all, but to me it feels like the people in the stadium are not ready for the game. [the] The WTA has no interest in how those of us who are supposed to be playing on that court feel.
“We don’t feel like anyone is listening to us or interested in what we have to say.”
In a statement to CNN after the tournament, the organization pledged to work with the players to implement change.
“As we have shared with our players, the WTA is actively implementing concrete improvements and is committed to considering their suggestions while maintaining a strong future for the tour and women’s tennis.” said the group.
In fact, there was a rumbling of dissatisfaction long before the WTA Finals, with a group of players writing a letter to the WTA asking it to address a number of topics. From paychecks to overcrowded calendars and plenty in between.
WTA president Steve Simon has been under increasing pressure this year, with tennis great Martina Navratilova saying it may be time for new leadership.
“For me personally, this is a women’s organization and I’ve been involved with it for a very long time since its inception, and we’ve only had two women at the top. When we have a new leader, preferably a woman. I think it’s time to be,” Navratilova told Amazon Prime.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
This year’s WTA Finals in Mexico was largely criticized by the players.
Simon responded with a letter of his own during the WTA Finals, explaining to players how the organization is addressing the issues raised.
But there appears to be no magic solution to the set of problems currently facing women’s tennis.
King, an architect of the women’s game, said putting the interests of the game front and center in decision-making was the best place to start.
“It’s hard to get people to work together. We have to put our sport first. Turning an amateur into a professional sport is something I’ve been thinking about since I was little.” she said.
“In the early days, women were ostracized, but we found a way to tour and make things happen without being ostracized. We need to keep doing that.
“But I’m thinking about men’s and women’s tennis, and I’m not just thinking about women’s tennis. It’s about our sport that’s important.”