Ons Jabeur takes on Madrid Open organizers for not letting WTA winners speak, calls it an ‘unacceptable’ gesture
The incident was an addition to the tournament's growing list of controversies.
Follow Us
Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Victoria Azarenka, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Ons Jabeur(Image Credits: @TennisLetter/ Twitter and Internazionali BNL d'Italia)
Ons Jabeur is back at the Italian Open where she was the finalist last year. While addressing the press in Rome, the Tunisian boldly criticized the Madrid organizers for denying the on-court speech to Women’s Doubles finalists.
Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia won the women’s double final in Madrid, after defeating Coco Gauff and partner Jessica Pegula in straight sets. During the award presentation, both the finalists were denied the chance of on-court speech. While on the other hand, the men’s doubles had the opportunity to express their gratitude. This drew a lot of criticism towards the organizers for their unfair treatment of female players. The incident was an addition to the tournament’s growing list of controversies.
The World No.7 also expressed her views regarding the accusation of ‘sexism’ towards the Madrid Open organizers. She stated that players should strongly voice for equality and fairness for all.
“I’m not sure what happened in Madrid, but I’m sure these things won’t happen again.It is unacceptable that the winners have not had the opportunity to speak. We top players have more power, and I think our job is to fight for our female colleagues and raise the issues. I think we should be treated better, fairly. and in Madrid, as in other tournaments, it didn’t happen,” she spoke at the press conference of Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
She also praised Iga Swiatek for taking a stand and speaking her mind apologetically on various issues.“She has her say publicly on so many issues, I like that you also find the time to speak to all the players,” she further added.
Jabeur won her first title of the season at the Charleston Open, as she defeated Belinda Bencic. She also reached the semi-final at Stuttgart Open but was forced to retire due to the calf injury.
Read Further: “I’ve done nothing bad!” Aryna Sabalenka believes the hate she receives because of her nationality ‘won’t change’
Ons Jabeur is back on-court for the Italian Open
After her triumph at the Charleston Open, Ons Jabeur has been absent from the court since her calf injury. The last year’s finalist is all set to claim the title which she lost to the stunning performance of Iga Swiatek.
The Tunisian player was forced to retire at the Stuttgart semi-final just after playing three games. She spoke about how difficult the situation was as she broke down on the court.
“I’m not sure what happened. My calf was already hurting, but playing with some pain is normal for tennis players. I was hitting, it was a normal spot, and I felt like an electric shock. I tried to continue, wrapping my ankle to see how things would go. Seeing that beautiful stadium and all those people who came to watch the game was difficult. That’s probably why I cried so much after the match,” she said at the press conference of the Italian Open.
The World No.7 stated how different clay surfaces affect the performances, and players have to just adapt and deliver their best. “The fields are very different, we have to adapt. But adapting is part of life for tennis players. We always have to do it, to everything, to the times, the conditions, the hotels, the beds, the pillows. It’s part of our job“, she said
Jabeur also added that her game style works well on clay and she has upped the level to perform better at the Roland Garros.
“I think my tennis still works well on clay. It’s not that fast conditions, I have time to execute all my shots. I like to take my time building the point. Then I like sliding, I love playing short balls that work so much on these fields that the ball stays low – he said -. I hope to do better than last year here and especially at Roland Garros,” she further added.
In case you missed:
Roger Federer set to return at the Shanghai Masters this year as the ICON athlete
Stay Updated!
Nikhil Sonmali
(1112 Articles Published)