The WTA Finals is regarded as the pinnacle event of the women’s Tour but this year’s edition has already been marred by controversy.
Multiple players have voiced their frustration with the organisation of this year’s event with the court not being fully ready until the same weekend the tournament began. On Saturday during media day, many voiced their disappointment with not being able to have enough time to practice on the main court before the event started. Then on the first day of the competition, world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka accused the WTA of being disrespectful towards its players and said she felt ‘unsafe playing on the court.’ 24 hours on from that, Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousva accused her governing body of not listening to players’ concerns.
The players are not happy but their frustration isn’t just with the circumstances surrounding this year’s WTA Finals.
Sports website The Athletic has revealed that a three-page letter signed by players was sent to the WTA earlier this month during the China Open. In it were requests for a review into the need for higher pay on the Tour, adjustments to scheduling to help support players, expanded childcare and calls for a member of the PTPA to be present on the WTA Player’s Council. The PTPA is an independent body co-founded by Novak Djokovic that campaigns for players to have a greater say in the decision-making process of the sport.
Among those to sign the letter, which has been seen by The Athletic but not Ubitennis, are Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina. It is claimed that more than 20 ‘leading players’ have signed this letter. The request was for the WTA to address the issues stated by October 13th but they didn’t do so for unknown reasons.
On top of the pressure being pilled on the WTA, Iga Swiatek has also sent her own letter to the governing body regarding her concerns. This was confirmed by the Pole’s spokesperson, Paula Wolecka.
In a bid to ease tensions, the WTA offered two meetings with its CEO Steve Simon. Among the ‘talking points’ which players can ask questions on concerns Saudi Arabia. A somewhat unsurprising decision considering the likelihood that the WTA Finals will be held in Saudi Arabia from 2024 onwards. Ubitennis also understands that a WTA official visited the country earlier this month to inspect possible venues.
Saudi Arabia is becoming a heavyweight in the world of sport and is likely to stage the FIFA 2034 World Cup. However, critics have accused the country of using sport to cover up its wrongdoing and human rights violations. One of those concerns centres around homosexuality which is forbidden in Saudi Arabia which bases a lot of its legal framework on Islamic law. On the topic of gay players having concerns about playing in Saudi Arabia, The Athletic reports that the WTA allegedly told players to say the following:-
“I’m happy to play wherever the WTA Finals is hosted, it’s a prestigious event.’
The criticisms place Simon’s position as head of the WTA in the spotlight, which he has held since 2015. Last week he denied a claim made by the Kazakh Tennis Federation Vice President, Yuri Polsky, that his organisation could go bankrupt within the next couple of years.
“The WTA is in a healthy financial position, a merger with the ATP is not under consideration and we are excited for our future during which we will continue to grow and expand women’s tennis,” Simon said in a statement to Sport Poland.
“Earlier this year, the WTA announced an increase of $400M in compensation to players over the next 10 years maintaining the WTA’s position as the leading women’s sports organisation globally.”
Simon has yet to speak publically with the media about the current situation on Tour.
