Tennis season is a few weeks away from ending but there is no news with regard to where the WTA finals will be held. ATP finalists will move to Turin, but so far it has been crickets for the WTA finalists. Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur is understandably frustrated by it.
World Number five, Ons Jabeur openly wondered why there has been a lack of news about the finals. Jabeur, who has a penchant for making history, had qualified as the first Arab woman for the event last year.
However, with the season nearing its end, the lack of news is getting to her. “It’s frustrating. I don’t know what’s happening and why we don’t know yet,” said Jabeur (via Tennis Up To Date).
Ons Jabeur is frustrated with players & fans not knowing where WTA Finals will be held:
“It’s frustrating. I don’t know what’s happening & why we don’t know yet. We are waiting. I heard a few cities. I’m not sure where. Some say Saudi. I’m not sure. I wish they can take the… pic.twitter.com/RKOVLUM2oK
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 19, 2023
For Jabeur, there is also the issue of tickets selling out. If the destination is announced and promoted, fans can buy tickets as early as they can. This is logical because no player wants to play in an empty stadium without fans cheering them on.
Last year, the finals were held in Fort Worth, Texas. But this was a one-off case because Shenzhen was boycotted due to the ongoing Peng Shuai case. A few city names have been floating around recently, but there is no concrete information so far as to where finals would be held. Saudi Arabia is one of the top contenders to host the event. However, only the ATP Next Gen Final is scheduled in the country so far.
Which countries have a high chance of hosting the prestigious WTA Finals?
The WTA Finals is a very prestigious event, featuring the top eight ranked players at the end of the season. They play in a Round Robin format and the best two players from each group make it to the knockouts.
Caroline Garcia won the title last year, which was held in Texas. Her 2022 WTA Finals victory was the biggest title of her career so far. The 2022 event was the third time in three years that the event was held at a different venue.
CAROLINE GARCIA CHAMPION | WTA FINALS FORT WORTH 2022
https://t.co/O7dJUHmkxn #wta #WTAFinals #carolinegarcia #wtafans pic.twitter.com/rsckGOEwCS— WTA Fans (@WtaFans) November 8, 2022
Back in 2019, China agreed to a deal to host the WTA Finals in Shenzhen. However, the country was boycotted due to Peng Shuai’s case of s*xual assault. The aforementioned ban was also supported by Novak Djokovic.
China, however, released a government document this year that consisted of a list of events that the country will be hosting this year. The list had WTA Finals listed in it, but there has been no official confirmation about it from the WTA authorities.
Saudi Arabia is another possible contender for being the host of the finals. The country has been pouring a lot of money into tennis recently. But there is no word about the WTA Finals being held there either.
The WTA has a history of making last-minute announcements. In 2022, the body announced the final destination of the tournament in September. Given the track record, Jabeur’s frustration with the WTA officials is completely valid.