Martina Navratilova pokes fun at 2023 WTA Finals mismanagement with ice tennis meme

Martina Navratilova has taken a swipe at the WTA for its poor organization of the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion shared a funny picture of two men playing doubles tennis on an ice surface wearing ice skates, suggesting that it could be the next venue for the prestigious event.

The WTA Finals, which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams of the season, has been marred by controversy and criticism from players and fans alike.

The tournament was announced only in September, leaving little time for preparation and promotion. The main stadium was not ready until the day before the event, forcing players to practice on hotel courts. The court conditions were also subpar, with players complaining about the wind, the bounce, and the surface.

Navratilova, who won the WTA Finals a record eight times in singles and 13 times in doubles, humorously expressed her dismay at the situation.

The American shared a picture on her X account on Monday, November 6, where two players are seen holding rackets and wearing helmets, gloves, and skates, as they try to hit a ball on a frozen lake.

---

Martina Navratilova demands WTA chief Steve Simon to step down, urges a woman to lead the organization

Martina Navratilova at the WTA's "Her Health Advantage" event

Martina Navratilova recently criticized the leadership of Steve Simon, the CEO of the WTA, in the wake of the Cancun Finals fiasco.

Navratilova said that Simon, who has been at the forefront of the WTA since 2015, ought to resign his position to allow for a female successor to lead the women's association.

"Maybe it's time for a new leadership but for me personally, being a women's association, I've been involved for such a long time from the beginning and we've only had three women at the head of it. I think it's time," Martina Navratilova made her comment on the Amazon Prime coverage of the WTA Finals.

"Hopefully, when we get a new leader it's a woman first of all because there's plenty of them that are qualified for the job. I know one particularly. But anyway, we'll see what happens but it's going to be hard I think for Steve to stay in the job somehow because things are just everything's pointing the other way right now," she added.

The WTA’s CEO recently acknowledged the organizational failures in a leaked letter to the players and said that the WTA will accept responsibility and learn from the experience.