"Cake size is what members of the WTA Players' Council really care about" - Tennis fans slam Victoria Azarenka for comment on Madrid Open cake dispute
Victoria Azarenka is facing backlash from tennis fans for her comment on the difference in birthday cakes presented to Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka at the Madrid Open.
With Madrid finalists Alcaraz and Sabalenka celebrating their birthdays on May 5, both players received cakes from the tournament. However, fans were quick to point out the considerable difference in the sizes of the two cakes.
While Alcaraz was honored with a large multi-tiered cake from the event, Sabalenka received a much smaller cake in comparison.
Azarenka chimed in on the matter and commented that the difference in cake sizes reflected the treatment meted out to ATP and WTA players.
"Couldn't be more accurate on the treatment," she tweeted.
Couldn’t be more accurate on the treatment twitter.com/slaylorfritz/s…
But several tennis fans have expressed disappointment at Azarenka's comments given her position as a member of the WTA Players' Council. Many have stated that they expected her to focus on more significant matters.
Some fans also cited her past disagreement with Iga Swiatek over the WTA's treatment of Ukrainian players, and questioned why she was more concerned with birthday cake size than offering support to Ukrainian players affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
"Azarenka was so defensive when Swiatek criticized WTA for doing “not enough” to support Ukrainian players amidst Russia’s war. Azarenka hasn’t yet specified what WTA did in favor of Ukrainians. The cake size is what the member of the WTA Players' Council really cares about," one fan posted.
Azarenka was so defensive when Swiatek criticized WTA for doing “not enough” to support Ukrainian players amidst Russia’s war.
Azarenka hasn’t yet specified what WTA did in favor of Ukrainians.
The cake size is what the member of the WTA Players' Council really cares about. https://t.co/jGuKqjHa1R
"You dared to speak against Iga Świątek for supporting Ukraine, and as a player council member this stupidity is what you care about? Just happy that Aga Radwańska ended your pathetic reign as a slam champion," another fan chimed in.
You dared to speak against Iga Świątek for supporting Ukraine, and as a player council member this stupidity is what you care about?
Just happy that Aga Radwańska ended your pathetic reign as a slam champion. twitter.com/vika7/status/1…
Another fan urged the former World No. 1 to use her position as a WTA Players' Council member to help Simona Halep overcome the delay in her hearing instead of "crying over a cake."
"Please look into the simona halep issue instead of crying over a cake. afterall you are WTA players council member and she's getting her career destroyed," the fan tweeted.
please look into the simona halep issue instead of crying over a cake. afterall you are WTA players council member and she's getting her career destroyed twitter.com/vika7/status/1…
Here are some more fan reactions to Victoria Azarenka's comments:
Members of players council when WTA is treated like shit, players are struggling with mental health or have no place to go because of war:
🙈
Members of players council when someone gets bigger cake: https://t.co/QdnoJTdSPD
@vika7 Female athletes are going through so much right now, with biological men breaking their records, and winning their events. You're pressed about the size of a fucking cake? It still tastes great.🥹
@vika7 So what have you done for Ukrainians as a council member? Death, bombs, rape, trauma that touches fellow players is something that occupies your agenda less than a cake size. Pathetic.
Good! We feel the need to speak about the size of a cake but not on a real issue! Now tell us as a WTA player council member what you have done to support the Ukrainians players, to help them to deal better with the trauma of a war? twitter.com/vika7/status/1…
@vika7 You literally can't be serious, Vika. It seems you posted this for attention and nothing more. Really?
@Roksanche WTA needs new Players' Council stat.
@vika7 Don’t you think that this continuous referring and crying for inequality, even for stuff that CLEARLY have nothing to do with it (there are tons of reasons why Carlos’ cake is bigger, and none has to do with the fact that he’s a man), just harms the women’s cause for equality?
I am a great fan of yours, Vika. I really am! But seriously? Are we discussing cake sizes now? There could be 1000 of reasons for the difference. But someone concluded that it’s about gender! Do we know, or are we biased? 🤷♀️ twitter.com/vika7/status/1…
How Victoria Azarenka has fared during the clay season so far
Victoria Azarenka began her 2023 claycourt season with a win over Sloane Stephens at the Charleston Open. The former World No. 1 fought back after losing the first set to secure a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.
However, she was unable to progress further in the tournament as Anna Kalinskaya caused an upset, defeating the sixth seed 6-4, 7-6(5).
Azarenka then competed at the WTA 1000 Madrid Open, where she lost her opening match against Alycia Parks, a player who was making her tournament debut. Parks was clinical in her performance, winning 6-2, 7-5(5) to notch up her fourth consecutive victory over a Top-20 opponent.