Emotional Jabeur to donate prize money to Palestinians
AFP
Wed, 1 November 2023
Ons Jabeur of Tunisia (Katelyn Mulcahy)
An emotional Ons Jabeur said she would donate part of her WTA Finals prize money to Palestinians after avenging her Wimbledon final defeat to Marketa Vondrousova on Wednesday.
After earning her first win of the week at the season-ending championships in Cancun, Tunisia's Jabeur choked back tears as she spoke on court.
"I am very happy with the win, but I haven't been happy lately," said the only Arabic woman to reach a Grand Slam final.
"The situation in the world doesn't make me happy," Jabeur added as she broke down in tears, before composing herself enough to talk about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
"It's very tough seeing children, babies dying every day," she said.
"It's heartbreaking, so I've decided to donate part of my prize money to help the Palestinians.
"I cannot be happy with just this win, with what is happening. I'm sorry guys, it's supposed to be about tennis, but it's very frustrating looking at videos every day.
"I'm sorry -- it's not a political message, it's just humanity. I want peace in this world and that's it."
Later, in her post-match press conference, the 29-year-old Jabeur said it had been a challenge to focus on tennis.
"I try to stay off social media as much as I can, but it's very tough," Jabeur said.
"You go through videos, photos, they're horrible, horrible photos every day. It doesn't help me sleep or recover very well and the worst thing is I feel hopeless.
"Maybe donating some money would help a little bit with what they have been going through. But I know money doesn't mean anything right now to them. So I wish freedom for everybody and really peace for everyone."
Jabeur must beat world number two Iga Swiatek in the final match of round-robin play on Friday to have any chance of qualifying for the semi-finals in Mexico.
bur-dh/pst
AFP
Wed, 1 November 2023
Ons Jabeur of Tunisia (Katelyn Mulcahy)
An emotional Ons Jabeur said she would donate part of her WTA Finals prize money to Palestinians after avenging her Wimbledon final defeat to Marketa Vondrousova on Wednesday.
After earning her first win of the week at the season-ending championships in Cancun, Tunisia's Jabeur choked back tears as she spoke on court.
"I am very happy with the win, but I haven't been happy lately," said the only Arabic woman to reach a Grand Slam final.
"The situation in the world doesn't make me happy," Jabeur added as she broke down in tears, before composing herself enough to talk about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
"It's very tough seeing children, babies dying every day," she said.
"It's heartbreaking, so I've decided to donate part of my prize money to help the Palestinians.
"I cannot be happy with just this win, with what is happening. I'm sorry guys, it's supposed to be about tennis, but it's very frustrating looking at videos every day.
"I'm sorry -- it's not a political message, it's just humanity. I want peace in this world and that's it."
Later, in her post-match press conference, the 29-year-old Jabeur said it had been a challenge to focus on tennis.
"I try to stay off social media as much as I can, but it's very tough," Jabeur said.
"You go through videos, photos, they're horrible, horrible photos every day. It doesn't help me sleep or recover very well and the worst thing is I feel hopeless.
"Maybe donating some money would help a little bit with what they have been going through. But I know money doesn't mean anything right now to them. So I wish freedom for everybody and really peace for everyone."
Jabeur must beat world number two Iga Swiatek in the final match of round-robin play on Friday to have any chance of qualifying for the semi-finals in Mexico.
bur-dh/pst
Simon Briggs
Thu, 2 November 2023
In this article:
Ons Jabeur
Tunisian female tennis player
Ons Jabeur on her way to victory over Marketa Vondrousova at the WTA Finals
The two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur spoke emotionally about the situation in the Middle East on Wednesday, saying that she would donate part of her prize money from the WTA Finals to help Palestinians.
Tunisia’s Jabeur is the first Arab tennis player of either gender to reach the highest echelons of the sport.
On Wednesday in Cancun, she scored what we might in other circumstances call a cathartic victory over Marketa Vondrousova – the Czech who had beaten her in this year’s Wimbledon final – to maintain hopes of reaching the semi-finals. But Jabeur said that the satisfaction of the result paled beside the plight of those suffering in the Middle East.
“I am very happy with the win but I haven’t been very happy lately,” Jabeur said in her post-match interview, which found her close to tears. “The situation in the world doesn’t make me happy
“So I feel like ... I am sorry.” She paused for a moment to regain her composure. “It’s very tough seeing children and babies dying every day. It’s heartbreaking. I have decided to donate part of my prize money to help the Palestinians. I can’t be happy with this win.
“It is not a political message, it is humanity,” she concluded. “I want peace in this world. That’s it.”
Jabeur has already made nearly £328,000 through participation and winning one of her round-robin matches in Cancun, and could stand to claim an additional £162,500 with a victory in her final group tie. Should she reach the semi-finals, an extra £44,320 could then be boosted by £620,460 by winning in the last four, with £1.15 million on the line for the eventual champion.
Now ranked at No 7 in the world, Jabeur will face No 2 Iga Swiatek in her final group-stage match on Friday. Swiatek squashed Coco Gauff – who served four straight double-faults at one point – in straight sets on Wednesday night to go top of the table.
Jabeur was emotional as she spoke about events in Palestine after defeating Vondrousova at the WTA Finals - Getty Images/Robert Prange
WTA responds to player rebellion
Meanwhile, WTA chief executive Steve Simon has written to the players in an attempt to head off widespread criticism about playing conditions, both specifically in Cancun – where the court has produced plenty of uneven bounces – and more generally on the rest of the tour.
His letter stated: “First and foremost, it is clear that you are not happy with the decision to be here in Cancun. I understand that and you have been heard … This is not where we expected to be and the decision for this location was based upon a number of complicated factors.”
Simon then moves on to address tour minutiae, such as the finer details of the ranking system, before promising a review into late-night finishes. This last point is not solely a WTA issue, because the whole sport is struggling to accommodate the growing length of matches. The second day of this week’s ATP event in Paris finished at around 2.15am on Wednesday.
Simon’s letter reflects the pressure being applied by Novak Djokovic’s rival player organisation, the PTPA. Last month, a group of 21 leading women – including Jabeur, who sits on the PTPA board – wrote to the WTA asking for urgent consideration of several issues.
“The tour is becoming increasingly demanding on us,” the letter said, “creating physical and mental stresses that make the tour not sustainable in the long run. We believe that continuing on this path is detrimental to the whole tennis ecosystem.”
WTA facing rebellion from women involved in Novak Djokovic-led player union
Molly McElwee
Tue, 31 October 2023
Aryna Sabalenka slammed the WTA over the poor planning around the Finals
The WTA Finals have been played in front of low crowds
Molly McElwee
Tue, 31 October 2023
Aryna Sabalenka slammed the WTA over the poor planning around the Finals
- Getty Images/Robert Prange
The WTA is facing a rebellion from some of the top female players in the world, who are all involved in Novak Djokovic’s emerging union.
More than 20 top players, including world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, signed a three-page letter to the WTA earlier this month, with a list of requests that included following the men’s tour by providing minimum pay guarantees for top 250 players.
The letter was signed by at least four major champions, including the last two Wimbledon winners Marketa Vondrousova and Elena Rybakina. The players are said to have been buoyed by their involvement in Djokovic’s Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), which he co-founded in 2020, and there is an entire section in the letter dedicated to asking the WTA to recognise the union more formally.
But after unsatisfactory talks with WTA chief executive Steve Simon, the players have been speaking out at the shambolic WTA Finals in Cancun. On Sunday, Sabalenka released a statement saying she felt “disrespected” by the WTA, due to poor planning around the Finals – which is meant to be the most important event of the WTA season.
She complained that the pop-up arena in Cancun had not been finished until two days before the tournament started, and also said the surface was not up to standard. Vondrousova echoed those concerns, posting a video on Monday illustrating dead bounce sections on the court. “So so sad for all of us,” she wrote in the caption.
But more videos have since emerged showing unpredictable bounces that would embarrass any serious training centre. British player Liam Broady reposted footage from one match on X, formerly Twitter, saying it was “the worst bounce I have ever seen on a hard court”.
The WTA was formed in 1973 to protect and amplify the interests of female players, but some of the top talent do not feel like the organisation is serving them anymore. The PTPA has taken this low point of faith in the WTA as an opportunity to gain more influence in its continued attempts to wrangle player power in a sport that is governed by no less than seven separate institutions.
As first reported by the Athletic, players are trying to push for $500,000 (£411,820) salary guarantees for top 100 players, as well as $200,000 (£164,728) and $100,000 (£82,364) for players ranked 101-175 and 175-250 respectively. They are also requesting better maternity conditions – including pay during leave – scheduling and injury cover.
The request comes after the ATP announced a similar pay structure in August, ‘Baseline’, which is due to be introduced next season. The men’s tour will make up the difference for top 250 players if they do not earn a certain amount for the season. At the time of the announcement, the PTPA’s chief executive Ahmad Nassar took credit for helping to negotiate the deal on behalf of the players.
While the PTPA still does not represent the majority of players, top names like Ons Jabeur appearing in promotional videos for the union have given it added clout. In the letter to the WTA, the players requested that a PTPA representative be included on the WTA Player Board as well as be present in player council meetings with the WTA “to improve transparency and communication”. It also requested that four PTPA members be granted credentials to all tournaments sanctioned by the WTA.
The chaotic WTA Finals have served as the perfect tipping point for these behind-the-scenes tensions to spill over. Cancun was only announced as the venue choice in early September, just weeks before the tournament began on Sunday.
The delays were apparently down to talks over whether to take the tournament to Saudi Arabia or not. The expectation is that the competition, which is the most important title outside of the majors, will eventually move to Saudi Arabia from next year.
The WTA is facing a rebellion from some of the top female players in the world, who are all involved in Novak Djokovic’s emerging union.
More than 20 top players, including world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, signed a three-page letter to the WTA earlier this month, with a list of requests that included following the men’s tour by providing minimum pay guarantees for top 250 players.
The letter was signed by at least four major champions, including the last two Wimbledon winners Marketa Vondrousova and Elena Rybakina. The players are said to have been buoyed by their involvement in Djokovic’s Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), which he co-founded in 2020, and there is an entire section in the letter dedicated to asking the WTA to recognise the union more formally.
But after unsatisfactory talks with WTA chief executive Steve Simon, the players have been speaking out at the shambolic WTA Finals in Cancun. On Sunday, Sabalenka released a statement saying she felt “disrespected” by the WTA, due to poor planning around the Finals – which is meant to be the most important event of the WTA season.
She complained that the pop-up arena in Cancun had not been finished until two days before the tournament started, and also said the surface was not up to standard. Vondrousova echoed those concerns, posting a video on Monday illustrating dead bounce sections on the court. “So so sad for all of us,” she wrote in the caption.
In a statement on Monday, the WTA defended itself, saying they had “worked diligently on an expedited timeline amid weather challenges to ensure the stadium and court meet our strict performance standards”.
But more videos have since emerged showing unpredictable bounces that would embarrass any serious training centre. British player Liam Broady reposted footage from one match on X, formerly Twitter, saying it was “the worst bounce I have ever seen on a hard court”.
The WTA was formed in 1973 to protect and amplify the interests of female players, but some of the top talent do not feel like the organisation is serving them anymore. The PTPA has taken this low point of faith in the WTA as an opportunity to gain more influence in its continued attempts to wrangle player power in a sport that is governed by no less than seven separate institutions.
As first reported by the Athletic, players are trying to push for $500,000 (£411,820) salary guarantees for top 100 players, as well as $200,000 (£164,728) and $100,000 (£82,364) for players ranked 101-175 and 175-250 respectively. They are also requesting better maternity conditions – including pay during leave – scheduling and injury cover.
The request comes after the ATP announced a similar pay structure in August, ‘Baseline’, which is due to be introduced next season. The men’s tour will make up the difference for top 250 players if they do not earn a certain amount for the season. At the time of the announcement, the PTPA’s chief executive Ahmad Nassar took credit for helping to negotiate the deal on behalf of the players.
While the PTPA still does not represent the majority of players, top names like Ons Jabeur appearing in promotional videos for the union have given it added clout. In the letter to the WTA, the players requested that a PTPA representative be included on the WTA Player Board as well as be present in player council meetings with the WTA “to improve transparency and communication”. It also requested that four PTPA members be granted credentials to all tournaments sanctioned by the WTA.
The chaotic WTA Finals have served as the perfect tipping point for these behind-the-scenes tensions to spill over. Cancun was only announced as the venue choice in early September, just weeks before the tournament began on Sunday.
The delays were apparently down to talks over whether to take the tournament to Saudi Arabia or not. The expectation is that the competition, which is the most important title outside of the majors, will eventually move to Saudi Arabia from next year.
The WTA Finals have been played in front of low crowds
- Getty Images/Harold Alcocer
The lack of lead-up time to Cancun means it has drawn relatively sparse crowds so far. After her win over Vondrousova on Monday night, world No 2 Iga Swiatek pleaded with fans to show up for the event.
Previously the year-end event had been held in Shenzhen, China, as the WTA struck a 10-year deal from 2019. However the pandemic and the WTA’s boycott of China due to Peng Shuai’s disappearance in 2021 left organisers scrambling for other options.
Ostrava, in the Czech Republic, had been another lead contender to host this year, but Polish player Magda Linette said this week the WTA Player Council had advised in favour of Cancun, due to potential visa issues for Russian and Belarusian players to enter the Czech Republic.
“The disadvantage in Ostrava was that we did not have a hundred percent guarantee that all the girls would be able to play,” she told Polish outlet, Interia Sports this week.
The lack of lead-up time to Cancun means it has drawn relatively sparse crowds so far. After her win over Vondrousova on Monday night, world No 2 Iga Swiatek pleaded with fans to show up for the event.
Previously the year-end event had been held in Shenzhen, China, as the WTA struck a 10-year deal from 2019. However the pandemic and the WTA’s boycott of China due to Peng Shuai’s disappearance in 2021 left organisers scrambling for other options.
Ostrava, in the Czech Republic, had been another lead contender to host this year, but Polish player Magda Linette said this week the WTA Player Council had advised in favour of Cancun, due to potential visa issues for Russian and Belarusian players to enter the Czech Republic.
“The disadvantage in Ostrava was that we did not have a hundred percent guarantee that all the girls would be able to play,” she told Polish outlet, Interia Sports this week.
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