"A sign there need not be tennis in October"- Fans bemoan WTA schedule as Emma Navarro, Danielle Collins, Paula Badosa & others pull out of Tokyo Open

Paula Badosa, Emma Navarro, Danielle Collins, Barbora Krejcikova, Daria Kasatkina, and many others withdrawing from the upcoming Tokyo Pan-Pacific Open has sparked discussions among tennis fans. Many of them have bemoaned the packed schedule and how it was drastically affecting the players' health.

The long and packed 2024 WTA season is in its final stretch. During this time of the year, it is common to see players dealing with injuries and fatigue due to which they withdraw from some of the tournaments.

However, the upcoming Tokyo Pan-Pacific Open has seen a concerning number of withdrawals. Other than Danielle Collins and the other aforementioned players, Maria Sakkari, Marta Kostyuk, Donna Vekic, among others have decided to pull out of the WTA 500 event.

Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to complain about the jam-packed schedule that goes on from end December to November. One fan said that this shocking number of withdrawals was perhaps a sign that the season didn't need to be so long.

"Perhaps this is a sign that there need not be tennis in October when the season started on December 27th," the fan stated.

Another fan sarcastically said how the WTA schedule needed more tournaments.

"More tournaments, the WTA schedule is not packed at all," the fan quipped.

Here are some other reactions from the fans, with a few of them joking about how Mirra Andreeva isn't allowed to enter the event due to her age being 17.

"'age eligibility rule' standing out amongst all the injuries," a fan joked.

"Everybody’s meat is falling off the bone and then there’s 'Andreeva (age eligibility rule)'," another fan joked.

"Maybe, just maybe, the season is too long…," a fan mentioned.

"Well,Kasatkina just won Ningbo - no surprise she withdrew," a fan pointed.

Interestingly, Paula Badosa had retired from her semifinal match against Daria Kasatkin at the Ningbo Open. She later explained that she was dealing with some health issues and announced that she would be next seen at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

Earlier in the year, World No. 1 Iga Swiatek had also complained about the scheduling and stated that the players needed more rest.

Danielle Collins, Emma Navarro, and Paula Badosa miss out on the WTA Finals 2024

Danielle Collins (Source: Getty)

Danielle Collins, Emma Navarro, and Paula Badosa came extremely close to qualifying for the 2024 WTA Finals, however, they missed out in the end by finishing 10th, eighth, and 11th respectively.

Though Navarro's eighth position would have been enough to seal a spot for the finals, the rule that allows a Grand Slam winner ranked between ninth-12th qualify for a spot, helped Barbora Krejcikova, the Wimbledon winner, get in.

While Navarro had been consistent throughout the season, Badosa had a poor start to the season as she struggled with injuries throughout the year. However, her resilience in the latter half of the season helped her rise through the rankings.

On the other hand, Danielle Collins had a stellar start to the season, winning the Miami Open. However, her form dwindled towards the latter stages, costing her a spot in the WTA Finals.

The American may have a go at it next year since she recently announced that she has postponed her retirement.