Novak Djokovic led PTPA invite WTA for collaboration after the local organizers were ‘UNFAIRLY TRAPPED’ amid horror scheduling that took place in the WTA Finals 2023

Imploring the WTA to find a 'lasting solution' the PTPA invited the women's tennis body to co-commission an independent, third-party report. 

Novak Djokovic led PTPA invite WTA for collaboration after the local organizers were ‘UNFAIRLY TRAPPED’ amid horror scheduling that took place in the WTA Finals 2023

Novak Djokovic (Image via: FirstSportz)

The recently concluded WTA Finals held in Cancun, Mexico, have been overshadowed by controversies. From the start of the tournament to the very end, the players have called out the WTA over the organization of the tournament. 

The court was prepared just in time for the year-end championship, due to which players didn’t get a chance to practice on the court. The 1st seed at the tournament, Aryna Sabalenka, lashed out at the WTA, saying that she felt “disrespected by the WTA”.

YouTube video

In addition to this, the weather played spoilsport, as several matches were delayed or postponed. The persistent rain and gusty winds in the city were too strong, adding to the challenges during the women’s year-end championship. Earlier, Coco Gauff shared a video on social media showing the terrible windy conditions in Cancun.

Now, the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), co-founded by 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, has offered to work alongside the WTA to analyze the shortcomings during the tournament. 

In a statement released on social media, the PTPA said that the tournament cast a shadow over tennis and women’s sport in general, in addition to disappointing the players and the fans.

Here’s the post shared by PTPA on the social media site ‘X’:

The statement reads:

Last week, the PTPA chose to remain silent out of respect for the dedicated players who put in a year of hard work to get there, and the local organizers unfairly trapped in an impossible situation.

Quite a few players refrained from calling out the local organizers, saying that the WTA has to take all the blame.

PTPA calls on the WTA to co-commission a third-party report

Imploring the WTA to find a ‘lasting solution’ the PTPA invited the women’s tennis body to co-commission an independent, third-party report that would delve into the numerous, glaring breakdowns that occurred in the months leading to the tournament. 

This is how we build lasting solutions: we must step beyond the confines of our insular tennis hierarchy and actively seek outside expertise to ensure these mistakes do not continue.
WTA TOUR
(Image via WTA Tour)

The PTPA asked for a response from the WTA within 10 days, calling it a crucial effort for the betterment of women’s tennis. Earlier, several top women’s players, including Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Marketa Vondrousova, and Ons Jabeur, wrote a letter to the WTA demanding official representation of the Novak Djokovic-founded PTPA on the WTA Players Council.

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