Jelena Ostapenko questions the Tour’s scheduling as top-ranked players refuse to turn up at the WTA-1000 Guadalajara Open

Jelena Ostapenko opened up about the potential reasons behind the latest trend of skipping the Guadalajara Open.

Jelena Ostapenko questions the Tour’s scheduling as top-ranked players refuse to turn up at the WTA-1000 Guadalajara Open

Jelena Ostapenko (Image via: Imago)

The Guadalajara Open has begun in the Mexican city, merely a week following the commencement of the last Slam of the year. However, several big names have announced their withdrawals from the WTA 1000 event. World No. 20, Jelena Ostapenko, recently revealed the potential reasons behind the latest trend of skipping the Open.

Guadalajara, as an event, has only gotten great reviews from players who praised the atmosphere and the organization of the tournament in Mexico. After all, they didn’t host the WTA Finals for nothing. It is hard to find a player who has anything bad to say about the event, but the timing of the event isn’t great.

YouTube video

Notably, the Mexican city has already held the WTA Finals in 2021. With the latest event coming only a week after the US Open, it was very difficult for many players to commit. Top seeds including Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, and many others withdrew from the tournament. That is not all; many prominent players blamed the WTA for the poor scheduling.

FS Video

When Ostapenko was asked about the same, she emphasized that the problem does not lie with the event. “I mean, it is what it is. Of course, it’s a nice tournament, but the scheduling this year is not very good for the players. But, yeah, it’s a nice tournament. There is nothing to do with the tournament; it’s just the way the WTA is doing scheduling,” the Latvian said in Guadalajara Press.

As an event, the Guadalajara Open is often praised for the organization of the tour and for the atmosphere the players are acquainted with in Mexico. Although the timing of the WTA event is pretty unfortunate, some really big names are still included in the draw, such as World No. 9 Maria Sakkari. Three players ranked inside the Top 10 and nine from the Top 20 will still be competing on the tour, and some of them will definitely be the ones to look out for.

Also Read: Ons Jabeur explains her decision to invest in Naomi Osaka-owned soccer team NC Courage

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek pulls out of the Guadalajara Open

French Open champion Iga Swiatek pulled out of the Guadalajara Open, citing a tight schedule and travel congestion as the reasons for her decision. While she had earlier planned to return on tour in this open, a change of schedule halted her journey, and she then stated that she needed to stay fit for the upcoming WTA 500 event in Tokyo next month.

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek(Image via: The Globe and Mail)

Swiatek, in conversation with Eurosport, said, “I need to listen to my body, and the season is very intense—our number one priority is to play it until the end in good health and plan it wisely so we wouldn’t risk an injury.” The 22-year-old will next be seen at the WTA 500 event that begins on September 25th in Tokyo. Fans would be looking forward to the former World No. 1’s return to court.

Follow Firstsportz on WhatsApp Channel

In case you missed: