'Of Course They Have No Money': Kasatkina Slams WTA Over Weird Rule

| by Kadir Macar

Daria Kasatkina is one outspoken tennis player as the Russian doesn't mind sharing her opinion even on controversial matters.

The Russian demonstrated it in many ways and quite recently too. She voiced her opinion on Saudi Arabia entering tennis by clearly stating that she doesn't care for money as much as some others do, which garnered some criticism from Nick Kyrgios, who publicly backed the move because of the money influx.

She's also been quite vocal in her opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, even accepting the Wimbledon ban as opposed to most of her countrymen who tried to fight it or contest it. She has now voiced her thoughts on some other things regarding the WTA, criticizing some of their moves.

Speaking in a Youtube episode of her girlfriend, Kasatkina, who was in Palermo this week competing at the Ladies Open there, blasted the WTA's policy of having only one Top 10 player playing in the lowest tier of events (250s), in only two tournaments per year.

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Here at WTA 250 top 10 players are not allowed at all. There are very strict rules about how many WTA 250 top 10 players can play. That's why it is very difficult for these tournaments to survive. I just don't understand these stupid rules. They are only in WTA, not in ATP. In WTA, forbidden to play WTA 250 for the top 10, only 2 per year, maximum.

I don't understand how do these tournaments make money if they can't invite any top famous players. So they say that 250 category tournaments have no money. Of course, they have no money, they can't generate it. They don't help them.

Kasatkina has a fair point though the other side of that is that most top players wouldn't even want to play too many of those events. It's certainly not ideal for those events that struggle to operate on a profit because the more profit they generate, the more will come back to the players.

It's part of the wider prize money debate, something which isn't feasible for most events that barely operate at a profit, especially on the WTA Tour.

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