"Scariest thing I've seen this Halloween" - Tennis fans react to shockingly low spectator turnout for WTA Finals 2022 opener between Jessica Pegula and Maria Sakkari

The 2022 WTA Finals did not get off to the most auspicious start, with very few people turning up to watch the tournament opener at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, featuring American No. 1 and World No. 3 Jessica Pegula.

The tournament - one of the biggest on the WTA calendar - was moved to Fort Worth this season on a one-year contract. The fact that the prestigious WTA Finals, featuring the top eight players in the world, is being held in the United States for the first time in 17 years, doesn't seem to have added to the excitement, at least for now.

Pegula, who recently achieved a career-high ranking of No. 3, took on fifth seed Maria Sakkari in the opening round-robin match on Monday.

Many tennis fans worldwide reacted to the shockingly low turnout for the match, particularly one involving the American No. 1 in her home country. One such fan opined that the tournament is dearly missing the likes of Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka, and Serena Williams.

"I’m pretty sure if Emma, Naomi or Serena was here the crowd would have been packed. Byeeee these girls ain’t selling," read their post on Twitter.

Another fan lamented the fact that the top-ranked American player competing in such a big tournament did not draw a strong crowd.

"I've never thought Texas was a hot bed for tennis, outside the US Open. I do remember the crowds were great last year in Mexico. The person who's really hurt is Pegula -- she should have had lots of US fans cheering for her, instead it's dead quiet," read another tweet.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans to the spectator turnout in the WTA Finals opener:

Maria Sakkari gets off to winning start at 2022 WTA Finals

2022 WTA Finals - Day 1

Maria Sakkari avenged her defeat to Jessica Pegula in last week's Guadalajara Open final by winning their crucial WTA Finals opener on Monday. Sakkari got the job done in two tie-breaks, winning 7-6(6), 7-6(4). The Greek star reached the semifinals of the tournament last year and is aiming to go two steps further this time around.

In the next match of the same group, Aryna Sabalenka stunned Ons Jabeur, winning a thrilling match 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-5. Pegula will now have to beat both Sabalenka and Jabeur in her remaining group stage matches to have a chance of qualifying for the semifinals.

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