FORT WORTH, Texas – The WTA Finals, the elite season-ending women’s tennis tournament, were supposed to take place in Shenzhen, China, for 10 years and fill the Women’s Tennis Association’s coffers.
This has not worked out as planned.
China’s “zero-Covid” policy continues to keep nearly all international sports events out. Even if it did reopen, women’s tennis has suspended all tournaments in the country, once one of its key markets, because of unresolved concerns about Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who in 2021 accused former Chinese vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault.
“We’ve made a strong stand, and we stand behind that stance, and we’re not going to compromise our principles,” said Steve Simon, chairman and chief executive of the WTA. “Clearly, when we did it, we understood eyes wide open what it could mean.”
The 2021 WTA Finals were moved to Guadalajara, Mexico. The 2022 event was staged on short notice at the 14,000-seat Dickies Arena in Fort Worth with attendance that built from woefully low early on to modest, but enthusiastic, crowds of close to 6,000 in some of the later sessions.
Some coaches and players, including No. 1 Iga Swiatek, said they understood the challenges but were disappointed with the turnout. The 21-year-old Pole, who was defeated by seventh-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, also cited the big gap in prize money between the WTA Finals, which offer US$5 million (S$7 million), and the equivalent men’s tournament, the ATP Finals, which start on Sunday in Turin and will offer an event-record US$14.75 million.
The 2019 WTA Finals, the only time they were hosted by Shenzhen, offered US$14 million in prize money, which was US$5 million more than that year’s men’s event in London.
“It’s just pretty sad the WTA kind of got hit by Covid and by not having the place to play before and organise everything properly,” Swiatek said. “But on the other hand, you have an example in the ATP that they were able to do everything and even increase the prize money. So, hopefully for next time, we’re going to be kind of more prepared.”
But the ATP did not bank on China and at this stage, it seems unlikely the WTA will soon return to the country where it staged nine events in 2019. Chinese President Xi Jinping doubled down on the “zero Covid” policy in October, and Simon reaffirmed in Fort Worth that the tour’s suspension of tournaments there will not be lifted until there is a credible and transparent inquiry into Peng’s allegations.
If the stalemate continues, Simon said the tour would seek a longer-term solution for the Finals, which have traditionally been a key revenue stream. Instead, the WTA was obliged to provide the US$5 million in prize money in Guadalajara and again in Fort Worth – quite a downturn from Shenzhen providing it all in 2019.
Although a merger with the ATP, an idea floated most recently in 2020, has not materialised, there is increased cooperation, symbolised by the United Cup, the new men’s and women’s team event in Australia in January that will lead in to the Australian Open.
But major equity issues remain, including the persistent dearth of women in coaching. The WTA said that there are only six working full time with the top 100 WTA singles players and top 50 doubles players. The issue is complex. Women have traditionally been more resistant to the year-round travel, and male coaches often still serve as hitting partners for female pros, thus fulfilling two roles and saving money. But Simon sees bias as well.
“I think you’re dealing again with one of those stigmas,” he said. “Hopefully, we can recruit and get more women after they finish playing or they’ve gone through the coaching ranks that they will continue to rise and become a part of the tour.”
Simon said the WTA will also soon appoint a new director of safeguarding – a topic at the forefront of women’s sports with October’s investigative report on the National Women’s Soccer League revealing widespread sexual misconduct and coercion by coaches.
“It’s a critical issue to the tour, and it goes way beyond sport,” he said of protecting players from abuse. NYTIMES
