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The draw for the 2022 WTA Finals is finally over, with all eight qualifiers split into two groups of four to compete in the final event of the year. Considered the most prestigious tournament on tour after the Grand Slams, the Year-end Championship has seen many notable names on its past winners' list, including the likes of Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Chris Evert.
This year, the eight participants are Iga Swiatek, Ons Jabeur, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Caroline Garcia, Aryna Sabalenka, Daria Kasatkina and Maria Sakkari. While tennis fans on social media were elated with the line-up they got, they were just as disappointed with the WTA's coverage of their flagship tournament.
Users took to Twitter to lambast the women's tennis body for their appalling lack of promotional materials from Fort Worth, the location of the WTA Finals, adding that even fans would have done a better job than the people currently in-charge. One fan wrote on the same:
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"WTA need to hire fans who actually care about proving content for other tennis fans, it’s shocking how little they actually do."
Another user wondered why there was no live streaming of the draw, adding that they could not understand the philosophy of the WTA, or its lack thereof.
"Bold strategy from the WTA to not live stream the draw ceremony for their biggest event. Have barely promoted it at all, I just don't understand their philosophy."
Another fan was of the opinion that tennis fans deserved better than this and they shouldn't have to "put up with" this much mediocrity, joking about how they might have to "storm the WTA headquarters" with pitchforks if that was what it took to elicit change.
"No but when are we actually going to storm the wta headquarters with pitchforks and torches??? fans should not have to put up with this level of mediocrity."
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
How has the WTA Finals draw shaped up?
Coming back to the tennis side of things, Iga Swiatek has been drawn with Coco Gauff, Caroline Garcia and Daria Kasatkina in the Tracy Austin Group. The remaining four - Ons Jabeur, Jessica Pegula, Maria Sakkari and Aryna Sabalenka - have been drawn in the Nancy Richey Group at the 2022 WTA Finals.
No player among the eight has won the tournament to date, with Swiatek, Sakkari, Sabalenka and Garcia being the only ones to have qualified for the Year-end Championships previously. World No. 1 Swiatek is the only reigning Slam champion among the eight, making the 2022 edition the first instance where there is only one current-year Slam champion in the competition.
