The organizer of the WTA Event in New Haven/Connecticut, Anne Worcester, complained about the great flood of cancellations last week. The American calls for more support from the WTA and a more structured calendar.
“Not only the week before the US Open, there were simply too many cancellations and tasks throughout the summer,” Worcester said.
This problem became apparent in New Haven last week. The top seeded Simona Halep cancelled her participation after two final entries in the two weeks before, the official reason was a strain on the Achilles tendon.
Ashleigh Barty, Kiki Bertens and Johanna Konta all cancelled due to a virus, two other seeded players were not present. Petra Kvitova won her first match, but had to give up in the quarter-finals with a shoulder-blading after one set.
Monica Puig walked to handshake a day later after only eight games. So Carla Suarez Navarro entered the final by not even playing four complete sets.
The winner, Aryna Sabalenka, received a cheque for 136,000 US dollars. At the US Open alone there is 20,000 US dollars more to be won for a third round entry.
“We have too many high-level tournaments on the tour,” Worcester said. “The waiver rule is far too loose. Players should only be allowed to withdraw on an international level in very discreet situations, which is currently too easy for all top 10 players.
In addition to the four Grand Slams, the WTA Tour includes four Premier Mandatories: Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing. In addition, all players in four of the Premier 5 tournaments must serve. These take place in Doha, Rome, Wuhan, Montreal and Cincinnati.
Last but not least, participation in two of the twelve Premier Events, including New Haven, is mandatory.
“It’s disappointing when cancellations happen,” the WTA said in a statement. “We are confident that our calendar will allow players to create a tournament schedule that meets their individual goals while still providing an exciting product for our fans.