Daria Kasatkina has criticised WTA’s new rule which limits top ten players on how many WTA 250 events they can play throughout the season.
The rule change now means that only one top ten player can play a WTA 250 event and it also means a player can only play two 250 events throughout the year.
Speaking on her girlfriend’s, Natalia Zabiiako, vlog Kasatkina criticised the new rules ahead of her opening match in Palermo this week.
“Here at WTA 250 events, top ten players are not allowed at all,” Kasatkina said.
“There are very strict rules about how many top ten players can play. That’s why it’s very difficult for these tournaments to survive. I just don’t understand these stupid rules.
“If you are top ten, you can play two WTA 250 tournaments a year and only if there are no other top ten in these tournaments. So there can only be one top ten player on one WTA 250 event.
“I don’t understand how do these tournaments make money if they can’t even invite top famous players. So they say that 250 category tournaments have no money. Of course they don’t have money, they can’t generate it.
“In ATP these small tournaments, I mean category 250. They can sometimes even have two top ten players and people come and they will watch, there will be broadcasts. There will be life in tournaments.
“Of course if no one plays at all, if no one is allowed to play, then it’s clear that nothing like that will happen. But they only make it worse.
“Everyone knows about the new calendar. I think starting next year, the top 30 cannot play WTA 250, only WTA 500. This complete bull****.”
Clearly it’s a frustrating situation for the WTA’s top players as they wish to play more tournaments with the WTA restricting the tournaments that are on the calendar.
Kasatkina will hope that the new rule changes won’t affect her development as she continues to enjoy a good season.
In Palermo, where her vlog was recorded, Kasatkina reached the quarter-finals before losing to Italian Jasmine Paolini.
