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Tennis fans have expressed dismay over the news of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Finals stadium in Cancun still being under construction despite the tournament being less than a month away.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the season-ending WTA Finals, which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the Race to the WTA Finals for 2023 will be held in Cancun, Mexico, from October 29 to November 5.
The WTA divulged that they took into consideration multiple factors, including player logistics, travel accessibility, venue capacity, and a commitment to supporting and showcasing women’s tennis, in deciding the host of the event.
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It was later revealed that the WTA was reportedly investing around $6 million into building a new stadium in Cancun for the event. Tournament director Gustavo Santoscoy stated that the stadium is being designed to accommodate 4,000 spectators, with two alternate practice fields available within the hotel accommodation for the players.
On Thursday, October 6, photos on social media showed that the stadium in Cancun was still underway, with the event less than a month away. This infuriated tennis fans, who minced no words about the WTA.
One fan questioned why the WTA did not continue with Guadalajara as the host city, like last year.
"This is 25 days away mind you. Not sure why they didn't just use the Guadalajara stadium again if they wanted Mexico. That worked perfectly in 2021 and has a bigger stadium and the WTA wouldn't have to build it," said one fan.
Another fan wondered if they should buy tickets for the event as they weren't sure if the tournament would even take place.
"Yikes. Is this actually gonna happen? Like, should we buy tix?" asked one user.
Here are some more fan reactions:
WTA Finals 2023: Only 3 singles spots left for grabs, 8 pairs in contention for 6 spots in doubles
In the singles category, five players have already qualified for the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun. Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina were joined by Jessica Pegula on Monday, October 2.
This leaves five of the eight spots filled, with seven players vying for the final three spots.
In the Race to the WTA Finals rankings, Marketa Vondrousova, who lost in the first round of the China Open, is in the sixth spot right now. Ons Jabeur moved up a place to No. 7 in the race. Karolina Muchova occupies the eighth spot currently.
Maria Sakkari has made a late push for the WTA Finals by winning the WTA 1000 title in Guadalajara and making a semifinal run at the Japan Open, which has seen her jump from No. 15 to No. 9 in the WTA Finals rankings.
In the doubles, only American duo Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula and Australian-Belgian pair Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens have qualified for the WTA Finals. Eight teams are still fighting for the final six spots.
