WTA Under Fire For Late WTA Finals Decision Impacting Billie Jean King Cup

| by Alex Waite

The WTA has come under pressure for the way it has managed late-season scheduling as the WTA Finals and Bille Jean Cup are set to take place within days of each other in November.

On Thursday, September 7, 2023, the WTA finally announced its long-awaited decision that the WTA Finals to conclude the season will be held in Cancun, Mexico. The official decision on the venue comes just six weeks before the event takes place and the finals will be held between October 29th to November 5th, 2023.

However, the WTA Finals will conclude just two days before the start of the Billie Jean King Cup, which commences on November 7 in Seville, Spain. Ultimately, the organisation leaves eligible players with a choice to compete in one or the other as journalist Stu Fraser pointed out the travel and logistical difficulties on Twitter.

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"Just checked there… no direct flights from Cancun to Seville available for those who wish to play both the WTA Finals and Billie Jean King Cup Finals. Private jets obviously an option but once again the WTA has shown a dreadful lack of consideration for what follows."

Currently, only three players, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina have qualified for the WTA Finals. But many more of the top-performing women's players are likely to make the prestigious end-of-year event, with the likes of Jessica Pegula, Ons Jabeur and Coco Gauff all pushing for a spot in Cancun.

Already, some of the top players have hit back against the long wait imposed by the WTA about the finals in October. Moreover, Swiatek expressed her annoyance at the lack of organisation from the governing body and also criticised the group for leaving her with little choice but to drop out of the Billie Jean King Cup in favour of the WTA Finals.

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