WTA: Blog of the week: Motivated and listless finalists

When the usual question rounds with the stars of the women’s tennis world championship took place on Saturday in the conference centre of the Marina Bay Sand-Hotelpalast, a non-scenic observer could undoubtedly have asked himself the question of meaning every now and then.

The question of what sense a world championship makes when some players show off their displeasure or disinterest quite bluntly. Venus Williams, the elderly representative of the Williams family dynasty, grumbled some hardly comprehensible answers into the microphone.

The rapporteurs felt compassion for the ASAP express typing service’s patented Linda Christensen, who also had to add the whole thing in print-ready sentences. One might wonder if it wouldn’t have been better if Williams had cancelled her participation – it wouldn’t have been the first time that the clan had abandoned the final tournament of the WTA series anyway.

For a long time this question-and-answer game looked like a teaching example of not doing marketing and promotion for a top-class sporting event. If some of the players are already giving the impression that they lack the necessary fire and passion at the end of a – admittedly tough – season, how can Singapore, which is already not excessively keen on tennis, break out into a wave of enthusiasm?

But where there was a lot of shade, by the way, there was also light, even with Caroline Wozniacki, a rather matte, briefly tied up Danish woman. Bright enough to cover up some gigs a little bit to shake your head.

Simona Halep was still very proud and naturally happy to have finally cracked the number 1 puzzle. She, the winner of the Porsche Race to Singapore, spread a good mood and the feeling that something worthwhile is still at stake in the city-state. Last-minute participant Caroline Garcia from France also seemed animated and eager to talk, but she was unlucky to meet the strong Halep in her first group game.

Elina Svitolina, perhaps the strongest female player on the regular WTA tour this year, was also very pleased with her performance – her only, but considerable sporting flaw that was not absolutely first-class Grand Slam results.

The young French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko was to be sent out for a media training course in the near future. She rarely understands a question in her first professional language, English, so precisely, and when she understands it, then some very vile answers come back. With a little thoughtfulness and calm conversation, she would appear to be much more engaging.

Especially at Ostapenko, one wondered why the WTA didn’t prepare such a young player better for such an event and why she is in danger of being criticized for a somewhat flippant and insubstantial appearance.

Often you think that younger players could just take a look at the somewhat older ones – if they simply take the time to do so and consider communication with the media as important. Ostapenko could look over to a Garbine Muguruza, who even ennobles some platitudes with graceful gestures and facial expressions.

And that always gives your interlocutors the feeling of taking them seriously. Former Lisicki manager Olivier van Lindonk is doing a very good job as a consultant for Muguruza. Muguruza and Halep – the two of them could also become a kind of rescue for this World Cup in every respect. And make sure that it doesn’t go down in perception – and also in comparison to the glossy spectacle of the gentlemen in London.