Open Forum Friday: Do You Support Player Suspensions for Withdrawals?
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Apr 13, 2007 | Print
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Happy Friday everyone! Today’s topic of discussion in this week’s edition of Open Forum Friday is the extremely controversial issue of player suspensions.
Now that Larry Scott is getting serious with his players in regards to withdrawals, the Tour has announced that beginning in 2009 with Roadmap 2010 (why not just call it Roadmap 2009) top players will be dealt suspensions from two premium events if they fail to show up for their required tournaments without a legitimate - and Tour verified - injury.
In plain English - if Venus or Serena reach the top ten and then continue to skip Indian Wells in 2009, they will be benched for the next two tournaments, possibly even the Sony Ericsson Open.
Ironically, the guilty players will suffer somewhat from being suspended, but it will be the Tour, tournaments, and fans suffering the most. Venus and Serena do not need to compete in Miami, in fact none of the Top 5 women need to play when it comes to prize money. None of them will be standing in line for financial aid anytime in the near future.
However, the tournaments need them to sell tickets. For example, take the Sony Ericsson Open. Even though Miami is a tennis hotbed, how many thousands of tickets are sold just by virtue of it being Venus and Serena’s home tournament, not to mention that they have won the title seven out of the last ten years?
Why not instead of suspending players, penalize them on the rankings? Money is no object for these millionaires, but the thought of losing several hundred points on the rankings might actually convince them to turn up more often.
What about you? How would you deal with player withdrawals? Suspensions? Ranking points?
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L.j | Apr 13, 2007 | Reply
Well fines do nothing and way WTA players withdraw from tournaments these day I don’t think the top players care about ranking pionts as much as we would like them to. I the WTA need the theat of suspenions to give them back some power and control of the tour (which clearly the top players run the show these days), because one day soon these players will leave the tour and the tour will be left in a messed up state.
Will.I.am | Apr 13, 2007 | Reply
I totally agree with suspending the top players from the top tournaments for withdrawing out of tournaments without verified medical excuses. They don’t care about rankings, they don’t care about money; so you gotta get them where it hurts: Grand Slams and Tier 1’s!
But the situation with Venus, Serena (and it’s a little suspect that they are the only two players mentioned in this post, but neither are them are ranked in the top ten) and Indian Wells is a very special situation. They were verbally abused by a packed stadium at Indian Wells, and figuratively stabbed by their racist and ignorant remarks. Making them participate in this tournament would be like making Monica Seles break bread and pretend like nothing happened with the psycho who assaulted her. Should Venus and Serena get special treatment? Of course not! The tournament directors Venus, Serena, Richard, and Larry should meet to discuss what happened that day and how the tournament has changed. Larry should be sensitive to their reasons for not wanting to play and assure them that they would be welcomed with open arms by the local community at Indian Wells. If they are forced to play without any attempt of a resolution on the behalf of the WTA and Indian Wells, then I believe Richard will file a lawsuit and I say good for you!
Nick | Apr 13, 2007 | Reply
You know what, it sounds great that players will be fined when they withdraw, but I know that they will do it anyhow with Roadmap 2010, and they will get away with it because their doctors will write them papers that say they are injured, even if the are not because those doctors get paid LOTS of money to lie.
As for William Sisters and Indian Wells, they have said too many nasty things about the tournament, I think they won’t be welcomed back with open arms. Just let them stay away, why create more problems for the sisters.
Aaress | Apr 13, 2007 | Reply
Will.I.Am, I was not meaning to turn the story into calling out any particular players - I was just using Venus and Serena as classic examples of what COULD happen if they skip IW. Like you mentioned, neither one of them is in the Top 10 at the moment, so it may not even apply to them by 2009.
The point of this post was to discuss whether players should be suspended, fined, lose rankings, or whatever other options you can come up with. Unfortunately, the Indian Wells situation is a blot on the Tour right now - and one that probably will never be resolved peaceably.
But let me say this, if suspensions are enacted, both girls should be suspended if they skip IW because rules are rules and there should be no favorites regardless of how much money they bring into the coffers. I’m not diminishing what happened to them because it was a travesty, but the Tour cannot (well, at least should not) cater to the wishes of individual players on uniform consequences for dealing with player withdrawals. Ten years from now, Venus and Serena will be long gone - but the ramifications of Roadmap 2010 will still be with us.
Vicki | Apr 13, 2007 | Reply
Fining players isn’t going to hurt them, Suspensions might a little bit but I think you’re on to something with taking ranking points away. I’ve read a few articles about the roadmap and this sound like the best idea for penalty that I’ve heard of.
anythingbuylove | Apr 14, 2007 | Reply
obviously, as Will.I.Am stated, ther best option for everyone involved (and the fans) is some sort of Pow Wow and then make up.
there has to be more options though if the Williams siters continue to skip the tourney (regardless of what their ranking is at the time)
this may sound odd at first, but im going to say it anyway. I think that if the top players in the WTA skip a premiere event (such as IW is being made to be)then i think they should either be unseeded at a major/ or be made to play the qualifying rounds at a major.
this is far from a perfect answer but …i think it’s better than suspensions- that only hurts the fans who buy the tickets. and it better than fines-the top players make so much…
but ALL the top players want to do well in the majors and the prospect of having to play extra matches in the qualifying rounds would make some players think twice about playing hooky.
like i said i don’t think this suggestion is better than anyone else’s but i’m only trying to put forth new ideas on the table…there has to be more options.