"Disservice to women's tennis" - Influencer Rachel Stuhlmann criticizes WTA 250 Top-10 restriction, uses Andrey Rublev-Casper Ruud final as example

Tennis influencer Rachel Stuhlmann recently used Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud as examples to criticize the WTA for restricting its top-10 players from contesting WTA 250 events.

The WTA currently allows only one top-10 player to contest in any particular 250 event. Additionally, these players are allowed to participate in a maximum of two 250 tournaments in a year with, at most, one in each half of the season.

It is worth noting that, from 2024 onwards, even stricter restrictions will be put in place, disallowing the top 30 women’s players from contesting more than two 250 events in a single season. The rules have supposedly been modified with the aim of helping lower-ranked players earn crucial points on tour.

However, tennis influencer Rachel Stuhlmann believes that the decision is likely to put women’s tennis at a disadvantage.

“You and I were kinda talking about earlier, how the women don’t allow players to play in the 250. I think it is a disservice to women’s tennis,” Stuhlmann said to co-host Joe Pucciarelli on the Overserved podcast.

She claimed that the lack of star power is expected to hamper the watchability of the tournaments and lead to fewer fans on site. Rachel Stuhlmann used World No. 7 Andrey Rublev and World No. 4 Casper Ruud’s recent ATP 250 Swedish Open final in Bastad as an example.

“Look at the amount of fans and people in these cities that want to come out and watch Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev in the finals. You want those big-name players,” Rachel Stuhlmann said.

“Yes, you do give an opportunity to the lower ranked players. I am all for that. But you want those big-name players in the tournaments as well,” she argued.

It is worth noting that the ATP has no such restrictions in place. In fact, World No. 9 Taylor Fritz, who is into the final of the ongoing ATP 250 Atlanta Open, is contesting his seventh such event this season.

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"This is complete bullsh*t" – Similar to Rachel Stuhlmann, Daria Kasatkina lashes out at WTA for restrictions imposed on top players

Daria Kasatkina at the 2023 Eastbourne International

Former World No. 8 Daria Kasatkina echoed tennis influencer Rachel Stuhlmann’s views regarding the tournament restrictions for top players. She blasted the governing body and claimed that their strict rules were the reason for their revenue decline.

"At WTA 250, top 10 players are not allowed at all. There are very strict rules about how many WTA 250 top 10 players can play. That's why it is very difficult for these tournaments to survive. I just don't understand these stupid rules. They are only in WTA, not in ATP," Daria Kasatkina said on her girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako’s YouTube channel.

"I don't understand how do these tournaments make money if they can't invite any top famous players. So they say that 250 category tournaments have no money. Of course, they have no money, they can't generate it. They don't help them," she added.

The World No. 11 further criticized the new changes to be put in place from 2024 onwards, and called the decision “bullsh*t.”

“Everyone knows about the new calendar. I think starting next year, the top 30 cannot play WTA 250, only 500. This is complete bullsh*t,” she said.