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Amid All WTA Finals Complaints, Roger Federer’s Former Mentor Hits Back at the Players as He Dissects Poor Turnout at the Prestigious Event

Published 11/02/2023, 7:00 AM EDT

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Following previous complaints, a new issue has arisen at a prestigious WTA tournament. The players are now feeling “disrespected” in Cancun, Mexico. But why? Let’s find out what the former coach of Roger Federer says about this burning issue.

With WTA announcing the host for this year’s season-ending tournament just two months ago, unforced errors were quite obvious. The event is currently being held in a temporary arena. This makeshift outdoor court was built atop a golf course, so players are struggling to get a solid footing. The uneven bounces on the surface haven’t helped them either. There has been a growing outcry among the best in business. It’ll be interesting to see how the WTA handles this situation.

The former coach of Roger Federer bashes WTA players for crying over spilled milk

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The world No. 1 in women’s tennis, Aryna Sabalenka, has been the most vocal. Just after landing at Cancun, her initial complaint came up when she could not practice until the day before her opening match. She felt this was “not acceptable” in a tournament featuring the Top 8 women’s players in the world.

But she was more surprised after playing her first match on the court. She defeated Maria Sakkari comfortably by 6-0, 6-1. Though the victory was comfortable, the match wasn’t at all comfortable for the 25-year-old. She was not happy with the court. Even the 4-times Grand Slam winner and current No. 2, Iga Swiatek, and Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova joined the Belarusian to criticize the playing conditions at the WTA Finals. But Sven Groeneveld thinks otherwise. Here’s what he said.

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The former head coach of Switzerland’s Tennis Federation said, “The player’s personal complaints are not helping for marketing purposes. Nor do people/fans want to pay the money for those that complain.” The 58-year-old Dutch didn’t look happy at all. In a tournament where low spectator turnout has been a significant issue in the past as well, he feels these things don’t serve well to the fans.

While players criticize the playing conditions in Cancun, the only way left for them is acceptance and adaptation. To end the season on a higher note, these top-notch professionals will surely overcome all the hardships and thrive at what they are best at. Can the WTA handle the situation before it goes out of their hands?

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WTA comes up with a reply aligning with the comments of the former coach of Federer

The WTA had earlier announced that it had signed a one-year agreement with Cancun to host the season-ending tournament. Now, they came up with a response to all the complaints made by the players. They extolled the organizers for ensuring the stadiums meet the strict standards they set amid challenging weather. The WTA didn’t forget to mention they are pleased to host the tournament for the first time in the Yucatan Peninsula.

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Earlier, there were reports of Saudi Arabia expressing an interest in hosting the women’s tournament this year. But it didn’t happen. Now, it will be interesting to see what happens next year after the one-year agreement with Cancun ends. Saudi Arabia, as a host of women’s tournaments, has been a controversial topic ever since it came to the news. Do you think it’s right for the players to shift on-court focus to off-court activities?

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Written by:

Sayantan Roy

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Sayantan Roy is a Tennis Writer at EssentiallySports. He has been following tennis for almost 17 years. His sheer love and enthusiasm for the racket sport has been a major influence in him wanting to build a career in sports journalism.
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Edited by:

Shubhankar Adhikari