“It’s an uneven playing field each week,” John Millman backs Aryna Sabalenka’s criticism of WTA Finals court, claims ATP events also suffer the same

John Millman comes out in support of Aryna Sabalenka in her protest against the conditions at the WTA Finals. 

“It’s an uneven playing field each week,” John Millman backs Aryna Sabalenka’s criticism of WTA Finals court, claims ATP events also suffer the same

John Millman(L) and Aryna Sabalenka(Image via Yahoo Sport Australia and iNews)

Australian tennis player John Millman has commented in support of Aryna Sabalenka’s accusation that the courts at Cancun are not safe to play on. The Belarusian claimed that the situation at Cancun is ‘disrespectful’ towards the players. However, Millman seemed to support the Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) World No. 1, as he said the conditions at ATP events are similar.

It is common knowledge that the WTA was extremely hasty in building the stadium for the WTA finals in Cancun. The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) released a video of the unbuilt courts just a few days before the event. 

YouTube video

However, after playing on the court, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was extremely disappointed with the WTA. The Belarusian had come out extremely successful after her match against Maria Sakkari, with a score of 6-0, 6-1. However, this did not seem to change her opinion on the condition of the court.

FS Video

Following her complaints about the court, John Millman supported her claims on X (formerly called Twitter). 

I saw this post from Aryna and completely agree. It's not acceptable, especially at WTA finals.

However, the Australian had another claim to make. He said that this is a common struggle among unseeded players in ATP and Challenger events as well. He emphasized.

It's an uneven playing field each week.

Millman seemed to be enraged at the poor conditions of the courts, especially at a high-caliber event such as the WTA Finals. However, he is not the only player to come out in a quarrel against the WTA.

Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur is another player to establish her complaints. Elena Rybakina has also voiced her displeasure with the conditions of the court. While it is common for the players to get a feel for the court before their matches begin, the conditions at Cancun made it impossible to do so.

The stadium, being a temporary structure at a luxury resort, was not ready until the day before the tournament began.

Aryna Sabalenka pushes past Maria Sakkari

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka proved that she was indeed deserving of her ranking with an incredible show of talent. The Belarusian defeated Maria Sakkari in the round-robin match with a score of 6-0, 6-1. 

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka(Image via Sporting News)

The Australian Open champ completely dominated Sakkari in the match. The Greek had left the court in tears as she was faced with the emotions of the completely disheartening match.

Sabalenka will now face Jessica Pegula in the second match of the event. In the group stages, she will also face Elena Rybakina to qualify for the next round. Nevertheless, it will be a tough few matches for all three players, as they will hope to play their best game and win.

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