WTA Finals controversy explained: Why top players like Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and others are at loggerheads with the WTA

The ongoing drama surrounding the WTA Finals could prove to be the last straw as top players aren't mincing their words about it. The WTA as an organization has found itself in hot waters quite often, but this time it seems different.

Firstly, the venue for the WTA Finals wasn't even known until a few weeks ago. Out of the shortlisted cities, Cancun in Mexico was chosen as the host. The WTA allotted $6 million for the construction of a brand new stadium, which could seat about 4,000 fans.

However, the construction of the stadium was nowhere close to done even with the tournament just days away. Players arrived hoping to practice and get a feel of the court conditions, but to their surprise, it wasn't ready. Naturally, they were upset about the whole scenario.

The WTA Finals is one of the most prestigious tournaments outside of the Majors and has the most ranking points and prize money. With the best of the best competing here, they'd expect things to run smoothly.

Iga Swiatek was one of the first players to arrive in Cancun and ended up practicing on the courts at the hotel she was staying in. Elena Rybakina was unhappy with the windy conditions and the inability to access the main court.

"Well, it's surprise me that we didn't get a chance yet to practice. I think that's the only day now. I'm going to get the first hit in the evening. Tomorrow I have to play the match, so this is a bit disappointed," Elena Rybakina told the media.

Aryna Sabalenka echoed Rybakina's concerns regarding the matter.

"Well, I'm not happy that we couldn't practice on the match court, meaning like on the stadium. I think this is not the level for the WTA Finals. We literally have one hour today, like 45 minutes, to try the stadium. This is something what I'm not happy with. I'm pretty sure the rest of the players also not happy," Aryna Sabalenka said.

Ons Jabeur made her peace with the situation, though she expressed that there shouldn't be a repeat of this in the future.

"I'm not very happy that this is the first day we hit on the stadium. This is such a big event. We should have been able to be ready and hit on the court. Yeah, hopefully this will never, ever, ever happen again. Like ever," Ons Jabeur said.

This all happened in the lead-up to the WTA Finals. While many hoped the final product would calm the troubled waters, that wasn't the case. The situation only got worse once players contested their matches.

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Players were unhappy with the condition of the court at the WTA Finals

Marketa Vondrousova is also unhappy with the WTA.

Aryna Sabalenka cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Maria Sakkari in her first group tie. Despite the great result, she was disappointed with the court conditions and stated that she didn't feel safe moving on the court.

"To be honest, I don't feel safe moving on this court a lot of the time, the bounce is not consistent at all, and we weren't able to practice on this court until yesterday for the first time. It's just not acceptable to me with so much on the line and so much at stake," Aryna Sabalenka wrote on her Instagram story.

Marketa Vondrousova, who's making her debut at the WTA Finals, had similar thoughts. The experience has been a bit unpleasant for her and she voiced her displeasure against the WTA as well.

"My first WTA Finals is not at all what I imagined. We work hard all year to get to the finals and in the end it's just a disappointment. Stadium is not at all ready for the matches and to me it feels like the people from WTA are absolutely not interested in how we - who are supposed to play on that court feel," Marketa Vondrousova wrote on her Instagram story.

Players have emphasized that their grievances lie with the WTA and not with the local organizers, who've worked hard on a short notice. The WTA management, on the other hand, defended itself amidst the rising discord.

"The team has worked diligently on an expedited timeline amid weather challenges to ensure the stadium and court meet our strict performance standards," WTA stated on the matter.

The WTA Finals has been at the center of controversy the last couple of years as well. The venues for the previous two editions were also announced at the last minute.

The dates for the tournament were too close to the Billie Jean King Cup, forcing some players to skip the latter event, an issue which has happened this year too. With the 2023 WTA Finals only halfway through for now, there's still room for more issues to crop up.