'Not Acceptable': Sabalenka Condemns Performance Byes

| by Nurein Ahmed

The discourse regarding performance byes has encountered mixed responses, and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the latest high-profile name to weigh on the issue.

In last week's Japan Open in Tokyo, the WTA revealed on its tournament fact sheet that it would be trialing performance byes. As the name suggests, these were special byes to be allocated to players based on their performance from the previous week's tournament.

Regardless of their rankings, players who made the deep end of a previous week's tournament would be entitled to a performance bye the following week, at the expense of the top four seeds. That means players who receive performance bye will begin their campaign in the second round.

In Tokyo for instance, third seed Elena Rybakina and fourth seed Marketa Vondrousova (who both withdrew prior to the tournament) missed out on the customary bye that the top four seeds at the 500-level event received, and it would be granted to Maria Sakkari and Caroline Garcia, the champion and semifinalist in Mexico respectively.

No Byes For Gauff, Sabalenka & Co In Beijing, Learn Who Get Them And Why
No Byes For Gauff, Sabalenka & Co In Beijing, Learn Who Get Them And Why

In Beijing, at the 2023 China Open, the same criterion applied, except that all top four seeds were slated to play the first round to give Tokyo semifinalists scheduled to play the China Open a performance bye. Since Jessica Pegula was a top-four seed in Beijing by default, she was granted a performance bye due to reaching the final in Japan.

In the past few days, players and fans have voiced their responses regarding performance byes and the jury is still out on the WTA head honchos to take a unanimous stance on the matter so that it clears all doubt.

The top seed Aryna Sabalenka has shared her opinion on the issue and firmly opposes it. Sabalenka believes that top players have earned the right to get byes because of their consistent results all season, and not necessarily because of one tournament.

Moreover, Sabalenka finds it absurd and seeks clarification on how performance byes would be instituted at a WTA 1000-level event based on performance at a 500-level tournament the week prior.

"I knew because they sent an email before, everyone knew about the performance bye, but I didn't understand it. I do not understand that. Players who have byes for having played semi-finals in a lower tournament receive a bye in a 1000 tournament, I don't understand it."

"I think you have to earn those byes. You have to do it for the consistency of your game, not just for playing well in a tournament, so you get this advantage. You have to deserve it, that's why I don't understand it and I don't agree."

"I'm happy for the players who made it, but I think this is not acceptable. I hope the same thing doesn't happen again later. It would be understandable if it went from 1000 in Guadalajara to 1000 here, but not from 500 tournaments to 1000 tournaments."

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