Coco Guaff received a two-week suspension due to her…
Hence, despite all of the exciting preliminary play at the 2023 U.S. Open, the true drama this week comes from behind the scenes. More specifically, if Saudi Arabia will host the WTA year-end finals. Although the WTA board has not yet approved this bid as I write this, all indications and reporting seem to point to this being the winning offer. A few rambling ideas…
1) Ash Barty won the title and received a check for $4.4 million at the 2019 championships, which were held in China. Last year, Caroline Garcia triumphed and received a check for $1.6 million. In other words, it is doubtful that the top eight players will get together. During this major event, their pay has
been drastically reduced.The WTA received a lot of appreciation and recognition for leaving China. However, the balance sheets were severely damaged by this moral stand. Rainbow-colored toys removed from tales lest they promote homosexuality? This difficult decision about whether to leave China on ethical concerns only to wind up in another totalitarian nation, one that just recently gave women the freedom to drive and receive a passport without male consent? If the WTA’s finances are better, none of this occurs. More charitably, none of this would occur if, as one might think, the market rewarded moral fortitude.
3) We are still debating the venue, and the event will take place in eight (!) weeks. This is a serious issue. All bid cities are aware that the WTA is in negotiations with
