Iga Swiatek concluded a pretty good week in Mexico by winning the WTA Finals, and the champion had some words to say.
The event faced a lot of criticism overall, considering that it was a logistical nightmare. There was bad weather that completely wrecked the schedule on top of the event not being effectively organized.
Players arrived a few days before the start of the event only to find that the venue wasn't even built. They had no access to the official court until a day before the event, with each getting just one practice on it.
The rushed nature of it all resulted in a pretty lacklustre court with all sorts of bad bounces. Multiple players spoke up about it, and Swiatek elected to speak up after it all concluded.
We are participating in a season that is very taxing, and the next one will be even more intense. We feel like we’re beating our heads against the wall. Everything has already been decided without consulting us, and now we are looking for a solution how we can reach a compromise.
It would be nice if the WTA shared its plans with us before making decisions. It’s supposed to be an organisation of women’s players, but we have nothing to say. It took us some time to gather into one group and take joint action.
Swiatek, as the world number one and the final player standing at the event, bravely spoke up and it was needed. We can't have these sorts of things happening in the future, and that's why Boris Becker praised her words on social media.
The WTA has been accused of poor leadership more than once before so player highlighting that might be the first step towards something better. Time will tell.
Good/strong words from the champion!
0 Comments