After the Grand Slam Board has decided to introduce shot clocks and change the seed lists (from 2019), the WTA is now also announcing new rules for 2018.
Players who are registered for the qualification of a Grand Slam tournament or are on the “Alternate”list may not participate in any tournament in the previous week – that is, may not be named on two registration lists.
The new rule will be applied for the first time in the run-up to the Australian Open. Then the pros have to decide whether they want to play for Melbourne or the WTA tournament in Hobart (7th place). till 13. January) will take place.
The change in the rules was triggered by a bizarre incident at the beginning of the year: Elise Mertens, who would later win the tournament in Hobart, had benefited from Sachia Vickery’s fact that she had already scored in the last sixteen after a game. Both players wanted to give up in order to qualify for the Australian Open, but Vickery beat the Belgian at the first change of sides.
In addition, any player who retires in the qualification or main draw of a WTA tournament and qualifies for a major in the same week will be fined $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct.