WTA Rule changes 2024

9vicman · Strong Club Player

WTA Rule changes 2024

KK · Club Coach

SuperT wrote:
I don't want be a purveyor of conspiracy theories, but I can't help feeling that all the changes we are seeing seem designed to make it harder and harder for lower ranked played to progress up the rankings.

Or could it benefit lower rank players that highly ranked players have more mandatories? Those players who maintain their top 100 ranking by winning low level tournaments will find their entry to such tournaments barred for certain weeks.

-- Edited by KK on Thursday 22nd of February 2024 10:24:39 AM

Peter too · Tennis legend

It would be interesting to know what the players think of these changes. Do they welcome them or feel they are being too restricted in where and when they play?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

SuperT wrote:
I don't want be a purveyor of conspiracy theories, but I can't help feeling that all the changes we are seeing seem designed to make it harder and harder for lower ranked played to progress up the rankings.

Well, it's not a conspiracy theory - it was one of the stated goals (I can't remember whether it was the ATP or the WTA, but definitely one or the other)

Not that they phrased it that way, exactly

What I remember reading was more along the lines of:

"we want to try and create a core group of top players that is a little more stable and predictable so the public can enjoy ongoing rivalries etc etc etc"

Which is pretty much saying the same thing as don't allow lower ranked players to come up and spoil the party

KK · Club Coach

Coup Droit wrote:
SuperT wrote:
I don't want be a purveyor of conspiracy theories, but I can't help feeling that all the changes we are seeing seem designed to make it harder and harder for lower ranked played to progress up the rankings.
Well, it's not a conspiracy theory - it was one of the stated goals (I can't remember whether it was the ATP or the WTA, but definitely one or the other)
Not that they phrased it that way, exactly
What I remember reading was more along the lines of:
"we want to try and create a core group of top players that is a little more stable and predictable so the public can enjoy ongoing rivalries etc etc etc"
Which is pretty much saying the same thing as don't allow lower ranked players to come up and spoil the party

Do you think by that they mean a core of about 10 - 15 players? I think most people who would claim to follow tennis a bit, wouldn't be able to tell you much about more than 10 or so female players..

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

KK wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
SuperT wrote:
I don't want be a purveyor of conspiracy theories, but I can't help feeling that all the changes we are seeing seem designed to make it harder and harder for lower ranked played to progress up the rankings.
Well, it's not a conspiracy theory - it was one of the stated goals (I can't remember whether it was the ATP or the WTA, but definitely one or the other)
Not that they phrased it that way, exactly
What I remember reading was more along the lines of:
"we want to try and create a core group of top players that is a little more stable and predictable so the public can enjoy ongoing rivalries etc etc etc"
Which is pretty much saying the same thing as don't allow lower ranked players to come up and spoil the party
Do you think by that they mean a core of about 10 - 15 players? I think most people who would claim to follow tennis a bit, wouldn't be able to tell you much about more than 10 or so female players..

Yes, I think that basically you're right

They want to have Serena v Kim v Justine v Steffi etc

They hate it when Krejickova wins, and then Kenin, and then Vondrousova, and then Barty retires, and then Halep tests positive etc etc

To be honest, though, I think they're panicking over nothing

At the moment, they've got Iga, and Sabalenka, and Coco, and Rybakina - they're young - they're going to be big battles going forward

I can see that they'll be very glad that Coco is there - they don't want it getting too East European (though what can you do......). Osaka and Emma coming back would be great. But don't hold your breath.

Personally, I always like the other players too - I hate it when it's endlessly Serena v Maria or whatever

But I realise that, as you say, most followers only know the big names (which includes the top-15 players, say, and the big media presence players, if they're not part of that top-15)

Nix · Futures qualifying

I think maybe the WTA or the press arent doing enough to humanise the top women in tennis. So, for instance, I knew a bit about Djokovic, Nadal and Murray more so, obviously. I know absolutely nothing about Swiatek, Sabalenka, Rybakina etc. I think people like to have champions that they can get behind or be against. Unless you know a bit about them thats hard.

Im sure some of you will know more than me but then that makes me probably more representative of the armchair fan, Im guessing. Emma grabbed the imagination because she did have a bit of a story with her meteoric rise to a GS. Even her subsequent injuries have raised her profile, largely negatively but that makes headlines and makes her more newsworthy and interesting when she plays.

Like CD I cant stand it if only one or two players always win everything but I do think the womens game could do more to make itself more interesting.

9vicman · Strong Club Player

I think it's less about the same players winning everything and more about having rivalries people care about. So for example, at one stage you had Hingis-Henin--Clijsters-Williams-Davenport, which included many interesting match-ups.

At the moment, there aren't rivalries which really excite, although certainly the players to provide potential rivalries. But not Swiatek versus Paolini or Cirstea.