Players rarely care about the Asian Swing, so should fans? — plus, a look at the week in women’s tennis
By Joey Dillon
The IX: Tennis Tuesday with Joey Dillon, Sept. 24, 2024
Howdy, y’all, and Happy Tennis Tuesday! The China Open, the largest tournament of the Asian Swing, kicks off this week, and we’ve just completed a week in Korea and Thailand. However, just viewing my normal timelines and scrolling through the internet, there’s been a sense of deflation amongst tennis fans. Is it a post-U.S. Open hangover? Is it the calendar moving to Asia? Is it just the calendar in general? Of course, I don’t have a crystal ball, but I like to think it’s a bit of a combination.
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When Li Na was rising up the WTA rankings in the late 2000s-early 2010s, then-WTA chief Stacey Allaster saw an amazing opportunity to tap into the Asia-Pacific market. Millions of dollars and dozens of tournament sanctions were spent in the area, saying goodbye to tournaments in North America and Europe that were historic mainstays on the calendar. The WTA Finals were moved to Singapore and then Shenzhen with record-breaking money being thrown out, but we only received one edition of the latter. Not only did COVID-19 put a hit on the region, but Peng Shuai going missing after accusing a high-ranking political officer of sexual assault finished the job. As the tour’s leader, Steve Simon gave China an ultimatum and had to essentially put their money where their mouth was; the WTA calendar didn’t step foot in China until a year ago.
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Last year’s return to Asia went largely unaffected, but let’s be real — players used whatever excuse they could, including Peng — to not travel to the area. Historically, the athletes would complain about the food, weather/smog, time difference, crowd size, etc. to essentially bomb out early and go home. Still, Premier Mandatory events like Beijing or the upcoming WTA 500 in Ningbo field draws that were high-quality, but we’re getting to a point where it’s painfully clear players don’t want to go, and it trickles down to both fans and stakeholders. Both Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina withdrew from Beijing last week, with the World No. 1 planning on playing in Wuhan and Tokyo. Rybakina hopes to be healthy enough to participate in the WTA Finals after a year of health challenges and a coaching split where there seems to be more than just a coach/pupil ending a long partnership.
Players wavering in their commitment to the tournaments doesn’t really make you or I want to engage with what’s happening. I admit — I’m more than bored with this part of the calendar, and new WTA CEO Portia Archer should make looking at this section among her top priorities. That being said, I’m really curious to see how the tournaments in Asia will continue over the next few years. While players continue to put pressure on the tours to have a shorter calendar and the WTA Finals no longer in the region, does it actually have the sustainability to continue? Could the tour restructure and move these APAC tournaments to the beginning of the year when the tour is in/leaves Australia? That could free up a return of the European indoor circuit I desperately miss or worst (best?) case, give players a bit of rest and an actual offseason?
There’s no simple fix here and unfortunately with tournaments, their sanctions and the ties they likely have to their local governments, we won’t see one anytime soon. Oh the web the WTA weaves.
Onto links!
This Week in Women’s Tennis
At the WTA 500 Korea Open, Beatriz Haddad Maia won her first title of the year with a comeback win over Daria Kasatkina. In doubles, Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Liudmila Samsonovaeased to the doubles title with a rout over Miyu Kato and Zhang Shuai.
One week after making her debut WTA final, Rebecca Sramkova did one better at the Thailand Open, winning her first title over Laura Siegemund. Anna Dalinina and Irina Khromacheva continued their winning ways by winning another title this season with a victory against Eunice Chong and Moyuka Uchijima.
Garbine Muguruza opened up about wedding planning, her retirement and diving in as Tournament Director of the WTA Finals Riyadh.
Hailey Baptiste finally cracked the Top 100 this year after being touted as one to watch and the American aims to follow in the footsteps of longtime friend and fellow player Frances Tiafoe.
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Second Serve is an organization started by two California sisters aiming to give tennis equipment to under-resourced communities all over the world.
Elina Svitolina has prematurely ended her 2024 campaign after undergoing foot surgery and will be back on tour next year.
Lauren Embree, who we’ve chatted with in the past, was a guest on Tennis Channel’s Inside-In podcast to discuss her career change from player/coach to wellness advocate.
In a move I’m not shocked by, Coco Gauff and Brad Gilbert have announced they have parted ways after a little more than a year working together. In other coaching news, tributes for the late Robert Lansdorp trickle in.
Billie Jean King, who will receive the Congressional Gold Medal, has three changes for the game of tennis and I’m honestly not mad at them:
For the first time, both Veronika and Polina Kudermetova advanced to WTA quarterfinals and they hope it won’t be a flash in the pan.
Racquet Magazine will likely turn over a profit for the first time this year, but they also have been going through a legal battle between the two co-founders.
Emma Raducanu pushed herself back into the Top 60 this year, but through injury the 2021 U.S. Open champion aims to finish the year with a full Asian Swing schedule.
Can’t say I’ve seen a Macbook autograph before:
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Martina Hingis and Ana Ivanovic are two of the legends anticipated to play in next month’s Luxembourg Ladies Tennis Masters event.
En route to the final, Laura Siegemund won the fourth-longest WTA match in Open Era history over Wang Xiyu.
Congratulations, Monica Puig!
Iga Swiatek took over the WTA rankings when Ashleigh Barty retired in 2022 and now the Pole passes the Aussie in total weeks atop the board.
Tweet of the Week
Happy Anniversary, Original 9!
| Mondays: Soccer |
| By: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer |
| Tuesdays: Tennis |
| By: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer |
| Wednesdays: Basketball |
| By: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The Next |
| Thursdays: Golf |
| By: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX |
| Fridays: Hockey |
| By: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden |
| Saturdays: Gymnastics |
| By: Lela Moore, @runlelarun, Freelance Writer |
