Tennis Controversies of the Week: Jannik Sinner and Emma Raducanu's Wimbledon 1R schedules lead to backlash; media's treatment of Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina raises questions, and more

Wimbledon drew criticism for awarding a Centre Court slot to local Emma Raducanu over World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. In other news, a journalist came under fire for the lack of knowledge of Iga Swiatek's Olympic plans during a Wimbledon press conference.

Meanwhile, the tennis media were slammed for unfair treatment of Elena Rybakina while a popular media outlet received backlash for confusing tennis legend Serena Williams as sister Venus. Additionally, Garbine Muguruza was called out for accepting the role of Tournament Director of the WTA Finals Riyadh.

On that note, here's a recap of the top controversies from last week:

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Wimbledon faced criticism by favoring Emma Raducanu for Centre Court slot over World No. 1 Jannik Sinner

Wimbledon Center Court

Wimbledon came under fire for giving a Centre Court spot to lower-ranked home favorite Emma Raducanu over World No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Day 1. The Day 1 Centre Court lineup features defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, WTA World No. 2 Coco Gauff, and Raducanu.

Tennis fans voiced their disappointment on social media, criticizing management for prioritizing a local player.

Top seed Jannik Sinner will take on Yannick Hanfmann, while Emma Raducanu will face 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

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Journalist received backlash for being uninformed about Iga Swiatek's Olympic plans during Wimbledon presser

Iga Swiatek had to correct a journalist who wrongly assumed she was not playing at the Olympics this year and asked her if she ever hoped to play in one, despite her confirmed participation this year. Swiatek, who debuted in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, will represent Poland in Paris from July 27 to August 4.

During a pre-tournament press conference at the All England Club, the journalist incorrectly claimed she was not participating and asked about her future Olympic hopes. Swiatek calmly corrected the error, confirming her participation in Paris.

Watch the video here:

Tennis fans took to social media to express disappointment with the journalist's poor research.

Top seed Iga Swiatek will take on American Sofia Kenin in the first round on July 2.

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Wimbledon came under fire for media bias against Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina at the 2023 French Open

Elena Rybakina was notably absent from the media's pre-tournament press conference schedule on June 29 and 30 ahead of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.

The World No. 4's top competitors, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek, were scheduled for June 29, and defending champion Marketa Vondrousova for the next day.

Fans criticized the media for snubbing Rybakina on X (formerly Twitter).

Elena Rybakina will lock horns with Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the first round on July 2.

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Popular media outlet criticized for misidentifying Serena Williams as sister Venus

Popular American entertainment magazine Variety faced backlash for publishing an article about a new Serena Williams miniseries, "In The Arena: Serena Williams," but used a picture of her sister Venus Williams instead.

Announced in May 2023, the documentary-style miniseries is set to launch on Friday, July 10, after over a year's anticipation.

Fans expressed their frustration on X (formerly Twitter), calling out Variety for the mix-up.

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Garbine Muguruza faces backlash for taking up WTA Finals Riyadh tournament director role

Garbine Muguruza at the Laureus World Sports Awards press conference

Garbine Muguruza, who retired from professional tennis in April, has faced criticism for accepting the role of tournament director for the WTA Finals, set to be hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2024 to 2026. This prestigious women's year-ending tournament will feature the top eight singles players and doubles teams globally, scheduled for November 2 to 9.

Tennis fans were unhappy with Muguruza’s decision and shared their displeasure on social media.