It was early September and Iga Swiatek had no idea where his season would end.
For three consecutive years, the WTA finals faced difficulties ahead of the opening of the US Open.
“Obviously it’s very unfortunate and frustrating that we haven’t made any decisions yet,” Swiatek said in late August, shortly before the WTA announced that Cancun, Mexico, would host this year’s championship featuring the world’s top eight singles players. “It happens,” he said. Double your team. “We as players do not participate in all discussions.”
Professional tennis players are highly organized athletes who plan their schedules months, sometimes years, in advance. Because the WTA Tour competes in approximately 30 countries on six continents with virtually no off-season, women spend much of their lives on the road, crossing time zones and engaging in complex travel. Knowing when and where athletes will compete is essential to their well-being and injury prevention.
In 2019, the WTA decided to sign a 10-year deal for the finals to be held in Shenzhen, China. When Covid hit, the country went into lockdown. Then, WTA President Steve Simon said the tour would not return to China until the identity and whereabouts of former player Feng Shuai, who disappeared after accusing a high-ranking government official of sexual harassment, were confirmed. , the situation has become critical. Peng eventually resurfaced and retracted her own abuse claims.
Now the deal is officially closed. The biggest question is whether to move to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and if so, when.
The WTA board supported this year’s move, but it was scrapped before an announcement was made. Simon then traveled to Riyadh during her China tour earlier this month to discuss her details. However, the announcement was delayed due to the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
While the ATP Tour has been staging the Next Generation ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from late November, there has been a difference of opinion between the women. A number of current players are willing to go, including Jessica Pegula, Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur.
“Unfortunately, a lot of places don’t pay women a lot of money, and like a lot of women’s sports, you can’t afford to say no to something,” said Pegula, a member of the WTA Players’ Council. She said, she said during the US Open.
“If the money is right and the agreement is one where we can step back and make changes, I think I would be fine with playing there,” she added.
Maria Sakkari said she believes players need to be more open-minded. “If the WTA can help the women there move forward, it will be a win for all of us,” she said in a phone call two weeks ago.
Some former players disagree.
“Why would the best sport for women go to a country with such a poor record on women’s rights?” Pam Shriver, a 10-time WTA finals doubles winner with Martina Navratilova, spoke by phone. “They are compromising their payouts along with their core values.”
Navratilova wants to see progress before the game.
“I’m putting all my energy into starting a conversation,” Navratilova, an eight-time WTA finals singles champion, said in a phone call. “But I need to see a commitment to women. I want to know their goals and educational plans. You can’t go with good intentions. If you’re just chasing money, it’s a big mistake. “The WTA will lose credibility by turning a blind eye to Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations.”
Sabalenka and Javert, along with Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, are scheduled to participate in the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup exhibition in Saudi Arabia in December. They will play at the Kingdom Arena, which can accommodate about 40,000 people.
By comparison, the WTA finals will be held in a temporary 4,300-seat stadium in Quintana Roo. Located on the grounds of the Paradisus Cancún hotel, the stadium also features two on-site practice courts for players. Operating costs are estimated at $6 million, including construction of the stadium. The costs, including the total prize money of $9 million, are shared between the WTA, the organizers, and the state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun is located.
“Hosting the WTA Finals in Cancun was an opportunity to check many of the boxes we could meet,” said Tournament Director Fabrice Chouquet. “The culture, the fans, who give athletes from all over the world the opportunity to be in Mexico. It has great weather, good conditions to host events and vibrant hospitality. Because these are also the hallmarks of Mexico. .”
Two years ago, the final was held in nearby Guadalajara and Garbiñe Muguruza won. Last year, after much delay in announcing the location, it was moved to the 14,000-seat Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, but there were not enough audiences until the final weekend. Caroline Garcia won the title.
For more than 20 years, from 1979 to 2000, the year-end championships were held at New York’s Madison Square Garden, attracting more than 15,000 fans at any given time.
The total prize money for singles and doubles this year is $9 million. If the champion goes undefeated in round-robin play, she will receive $3 million.
This year’s singles competitors include Australian Open champion Sabalenka, French Open winner Swiatek, US Open champion Coco Gauff, Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova, Elena Rybakina, Pegula, Jabeur and Sakkari. Karolina Muchova was the eighth qualifier, but her wrist injury last week forced her to withdraw, making room for Sakkari.
Sabalenka, Swiatek and Sakkari are competing for the third year in a row, while Pegula, Gauff and Jabeur are second-year competitors. Rybakina and Vondrousova will debut in the final this year.
Another problem facing this year’s WTA finals is the proximity of the women’s international team event, the Billie Jean King Cup, which begins in Seville, Spain, two days after the Cancun finals. Pegula, Gauff and Swiatek refused to compete in the King Cup. This is the second time this year that the two signature events have collided.
“We’ve been dating for a long time,” King said during a video conference call this month. “I think we all need to come up with a better schedule for the players and for everyone who knows what’s going to happen because these decisions can’t be made in September finals. It’s only fair.”
The problem is that Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova requires not only mental gymnastics but also skillful juggling. Krejcikova, who reached the final two weeks ago in Zhengzhou, China, flew 1,000 miles to Zhuhai, China to finish as the top seed in her last week’s WTA Elite Trophy. The WTA Elite Trophy is a year-end competition featuring the 12 top singles players and 6 doubles teams. I just missed the cut for the WTA finals.
But Krejcikova and her partner Katerina Siniakova have also qualified for the doubles in the WTA finals, which starts on Sunday. It is a 9,000 mile journey from Zhuhai to Cancun.
Then, as soon as the WTA finals are over, Krejcikova will fly about 5,000 more miles from Cancun to Seville for the Billie Jean King Cup. But she will at least have company as her Czech teammates Siniakova and Vondrousova are also playing for Cancun and Seville.
Despite scheduling difficulties, travel issues and political issues associated with choosing a tournament location, players who qualify for the WTA Finals enjoy the opportunity to compete.
“I always felt this was a celebration and reward for a great season,” said Sakkari, who beat Sabalenka, Pegula and Jabeur to reach the semifinals last year. “It’s so big. There are only seven other players, and you’re playing against the best of the best. “It’s really unique.”
