The Czech Republic team mock the ITF and WTA over the terrible scheduling as Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova miss the press conference for Billie Jean King Cup due to the Tour Finals

The Czech Republic team uses cut-outs to point out the scheduling errors at the Billie Jean King Cup.

The Czech Republic team mock the ITF and WTA over the terrible scheduling as Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova miss the press conference for Billie Jean King Cup due to the Tour Finals

The Czech Republic Team (Credits: Twitter)

The Czech Republic team has mocked the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) over the terrible scheduling of the Billie Jean King Cup and WTA Finals.

Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova were unable to attend the press conference for the Billie Jean King Cup due to their commitments at the Tour Finals. The Czech team decided to show their sense of humor by using the situation to their advantage.

YouTube video

Despite three key players being absent due to their participation in the WTA Finals, the Czech Billie Jean King Cup Finals team kicked off their preparations in Seville, Spain.

FS Video

Captain Petr Pala and two players conducted their first training session, joined by life-sized cardboard cutouts of their Grand Slam champion teammates. 

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The Czech tennis federation commented on a photo of the group on Instagram

While the humorous approach drew laughter, the underlying issue remains a serious concern. The tight schedule between the two tournaments drew criticism from players and WTA veterans, including Billie Jean King herself, in recent years.

The Czech Republic, defending champion Switzerland, and perennial title favorite United States were all drawn into the same round-robin group for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. However, all three teams have been impacted by late roster changes ahead of the Finals’ opening day on Tuesday.

WTA Finals’ scheduling woes this year

Players and spectators alike criticized the WTA’s plan to hold the 2023 Finals in Cancun, Mexico. When the players arrived, the stadium was still under construction. Later on, the courts were deemed unfit for play by some.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek
Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (Credits: Sport.pl)

Rain forced the suspension of Aryna Sabalenka’s decisive bout against Elena Rybakina. Even her semi-final against Iga Swiatek was postponed. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff’s semi-final match against Jessica Pegula had been postponed owing to bad weather.

One of the main concerns was the lack of communication from the WTA. The lack of communication from the organizers left players feeling uninformed about the situation. This led to a lot of frustration. Sabalenka said that she felt “disrespected” by the WTA, and many other players echoed her sentiments.

The poor conditions of the courts were also a major issue. Players complained that the courts were slippery and uneven. They claimed that this made it difficult to play their best. Belarusian WTA player Aryna Sabalenka even said that she felt unsafe playing on the courts.

The WTA has damaged its reputation even after apologizing for the problems at the Finals. It is considered one of the most prestigious tournaments in women’s tennis. However, this year seems to be going down in history for all the wrong reasons.

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