“Tennis Has Equality Now Because Billie-Jean King Fought” – W Series CEO Vows to Fight Amid Bankruptcy Crisis

W Series started out in 2019 as an all-female racing championship. It is a free-to-enter, fully funded tournament that eliminates the financial barriers that prevent women from entering the top level of motorsport. However, a financial crisis has put the very existence of the series in dire straits.

W Series 2022 has had six races so far. Jamie Chadwick has won five out of these six races. If she wins the next race in Singapore, she will win her third title. She has a lead of 75 points between her and second and third-placed Alice Powell and Beitske Visser, respectively. However, Singapore could reportedly be the last W series race for her before she switches to the Indy Light championship.

W Series in financial muck

After Singapore, three more races remain to be held in the season. Two of those races are to be held in Mexico and one in the US. According to a report, a number of creditors haven’t been paid for quite some time now. W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir, however, seems optimistic for the future of the season.

She said, “We’re having lots of conversations at the moment and I’m very optimistic.” Catherine talked about how it has been a struggle from day one. She said that they are looking at their budgets and are confident they’ll be able to raise money. The CEO talked about how the W Series is still in its nascent stages and compared it to how other more mature sports in the women’s division are doing.

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Catherine said, “Tennis has equality now because Billie-Jean King fought for those rights 50 years ago. Football is slowly starting to become more equal. Rugby? We saw recently that England’s women flew economy to the World Cup where their male counterparts flew business. It takes time. We’re only in our third season. But we have had a huge impact already and we are a force for good.”

A deal with a US company fell through?

According to the report, if no financial backers come forth, the Austin, Texas, and Mexico City fixtures could fail to go ahead.

It is not that the series could not find backers. According to The Telegraph, a multi-million dollar deal was signed with a US company, which eventually did not go through.

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W Series was a wonderful step towards the inclusivity of women in the sport. It is, however, disheartening to see its current state. We would certainly like to believe the series CEO and hope that the season concludes normally and the series continues to march ahead in years to come.