CANCUN, Mexico — The ladies’s tennis tour defended the courtroom constructed for the WTA Finals as assembly its “strict performance standards” after No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka known as the circumstances on the season-ending championship “another level of disrespect.”

At least two of the eight singles gamers on the occasion that started Sunday complained in regards to the short-term outside arduous courtroom in Cancun, together with saying that it was not prepared earlier to permit for extra follow time earlier than the competitors.

“Honestly, it’s another level of disrespect from the WTA for the players, because sometimes they don’t even feel safe to move on this court. That’s not the level I expect from the WTA Finals,” Sabalenka stated Sunday night time after beating Maria Sakkari 6-0, 6-1 in one of many opening matches in round-robin play.

“Thank you for this challenge I’m facing right now, to kind of like learn how to adapt quick to the conditions. Thank you for that. But this is not something I expect from such a high- level tournament,” stated Sabalenka, who received the Australian Open in January and was the runner-up to Coco Gauff on the U.S. Open in September. “And I’m really happy that I’m able to ignore all this.”

Another participant who was in motion on Day 1, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, stated after her straight-set loss to Jessica Pegula: “About the court, I don’t really want to talk, but of course, it’s not good. … Everything was late and (there was) no time to fix anything.”

The venue for this 12 months’s WTA Finals was not introduced till final month, beneath a one-year settlement with Cancun.

“We’re pleased to host the WTA Finals in Cancun for the first time and worked hard to construct a stadium where the world’s top eight women’s tennis players and doubles teams compete head-to-head. The team has worked diligently on an expedited timeline amid weather challenges to ensure the stadium and court meet our strict performance standards,” the tour stated in a press release.

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