The recent quarrel between Aryna Sabalenka And Iga Swiatek The issue has not been forgotten. When the Australian Open champion revealed her choice to play ATP matches rather than WTA, it may have offended the world number 1, to which she responded with a crushing victory at the Madrid Open. While discussions were not yet closed on the subject, a renowned American sports commentator came to fuel the controversy.
On May 9, the legendary voice of Ted Robinson returned to the stage Tennis Channel Inside-In Podcast To dissect the thrilling Madrid tournament, Robinson delved into the epic women’s final, where Iga Swiatek defeated Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 match. In addition, he also analyzed Swiatek’s reign as the undisputed queen of the WTA. However, remarks revolving around women’s tennis have once again drawn criticism towards Saba.
Tennis’ fragmentation allows individual tournaments and organizations to be pitted against each other by players, sponsors and broadcasters. A united front, as Robinson suggested, could provide a stronger negotiating position for revenue sharing, broadcast deals and player compensation. “If there’s ever a time when it makes sense for the powers of tennis, all of them, to come together and pursue what’s been discussed in these proposals that we read and hear about about the unification of tennis, this is the time to do it.” Robinson said of tennis as a whole.
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Robinson gave more weight to the incident, noting that women’s tennis is a lot of fun to watch with players like Iga. “The women’s tour, women’s tennis is a lot of fun to watch. The best are there, and you know we see that,” he said, adding more value to Swiatek’s comment. Along with this, he also built anticipation in the minds of fans by saying: “We will see him in Rome, we will see him again at Roland Garros.”
Aryna Sabalenka says she prefers watching men’s tennis to women’s tennis:
“I feel like I’ve dropped the bar a bit within this hypothetical “Big Three”, this last month is more like a Big Two (laughs). However, I’m happy to be part of this group. I hope to maintain… pic.twitter.com/WLYzkdkhRR
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 23, 2024
For context, Aryna appeared in a press interview ahead of the Madrid tournament and expressed her views on the possibility of a “Big Three” with Swiatek and Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka jokingly downplayed her recent performance, suggesting it might be more of a ‘The two big ones Interestingly, she revealed that she doesn’t watch women’s games, but rather men’s tennis. “I’m not someone who watches a lot of tennis. I prefer to watch men’s tennis rather than women’s tennis. I feel like there’s more logic to it and it’s more interesting to watch.”
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Taking the debate to a surprising conclusion, Swiatek handed Sabalenka a disappointing third-set tiebreak defeat in Madrid. In the post-match interview, Swiatek didn’t hesitate to say: “Who’s going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Immediately after the remarks, The Madrid crowd cheered loudly, in agreement with her. Although Swiatek did not name any names, it was assumed that her remark was aimed at Sabalenka. While she found herself in the middle of the controversy, Saba quickly justified her previous comments.
Aryna Sabalenka reverses comment
Following her controversial comments that she mainly watches men’s tennis, Aryna Sabalenka has found herself facing new questions following her first victory at the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open. This time, the Belarusian star has clarified her previous statements.
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“I didn’t mean to denigrate women’s tennis. I just find it more fun to watch the men play because I spend a lot of time studying my opponents. So in my free time, I don’t want to see the girls I’m playing against again.” Sabalenka explained that her comment was not intended to disrespect the popularity of the WTA or any aspect of it.
As the debate over gender equality in tennis continues, the Madrid Open final reminds fans that the nature of women’s tennis is just as exciting as that of men’s tennis. While Sabalenka’s statement was a candid revelation, the responses she received from Iga Swiatek and Ted Robinson helped many appreciate women’s tennis for what it is.