Aryna Sabalenka accuses WTA of ‘disrespecting’ women players

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka delivered a scathing critique of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), expressing her feeling of being “disrespected” by the hasty organization of the finals event.

The prestigious tour-end finals are currently being held in Cancun, Mexico, with the top eight women’s players competing for one of the most important titles in tennis, just below the four majors.

However, the lead-up to the event has been plagued by last-minute changes. Speculation had been rife that the finals would take place in Saudi Arabia, but the decision to host it in Cancun was only confirmed in early September. Furthermore, the construction of the court in Cancun was finalized mere days before the tournament commenced on Sunday.

“I am extremely disappointed with the WTA and my experience at the WTA Finals so far,” Sabalenka stated after demolishing Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-0, 6-1 in her opening round-robin match. “This level of organization is far below our expectations for such a significant event.

“To be honest, I don’t feel safe moving on this court most of the time,” she continued. “The bounce is inconsistent, and we were only able to practice on this court for the first time yesterday. It’s simply unacceptable to me given the high stakes and what’s at stake. As a player, I feel disrespected by the WTA, and I believe many of us feel the same.”

Her coach, Anton Dubrov, reposted her statement on Instagram stories with the caption, “Someone needs to take responsibility for this,” tagging Novak Djokovic’s player union, the Professional Tennis Players Association.

When approached for comment, a spokesperson for the WTA said: “We’re thrilled to be hosting the WTA Finals in Cancun for the first time and have put in significant effort to construct a stadium that allows the world’s top eight women’s tennis players and doubles teams to compete directly against each other,” the WTA said in a statement. “Our team has worked diligently on an expedited timeline despite weather challenges to ensure the stadium and court meet our strict performance standards. We look forward to the week ahead and playing in front of the passionate fans here in Cancun.”

This is not the first time the women’s tour has faced such issues. Last year, the organization faced difficulties in finding a venue for the event that is supposed to be the highlight of the WTA calendar. Eventually, Fort Worth, Texas, was chosen, but attendance was noticeably low.

The late confirmation of host cities in recent seasons has also led to scheduling conflicts with the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, which four-time major champion Iga Swiatek previously lamented as “disappointing”.

This situation would have been unimaginable just a few years ago when the tour signed a lucrative 10-year agreement to host the finals in Shenzhen, China, starting from 2019. However, the pandemic and the WTA’s decision to cancel all tournaments in China throughout 2022 due to Peng Shuai’s disappearance have left the tournament in a state of perpetual uncertainty.

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