Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova react to incomplete construction of Cancun stadium for WTA Finals
Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova are far from pleased with the situation regarding the stadium where the WTA Finals is to take place.
The year-end championship for women returns to Mexico, which was the host in 2021, and the Plaza Quintana Roo is the venue for the event. The WTA reportedly spent $6 million for the construction of a new stadium for the tournament but it hasn't been completed yet.
The last two Wimbledon champions, Marketa Vondrousova and Elena Rybakina, both reacted to the stadium situation on their social media. Rybakina shared a video that was taken by the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), with her caption reading:
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Vondrousova, meanwhile, opted for a more humorous take. She shared a doctored image of all eight participants as construction workers. The 24-year-old, interestingly, had Karolina Muchova in place of Maria Sakkari. who replaced the former in the tournament following her withdrawal due to injury.
Elena Rybakina drawn in Bacalar Group while Marketa Vondrousova in Chetumal Group at WTA Finals
Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova will not face one another in the WTA Finals unless they reach the knockout stages as both have been drawn in different groups.
Rybakina is in the Bacalar Group alongside top seed Aryna Sabalenka, fifth seed Jessica Pegula and eighth seed Maria Sakkari. The Kazakh has already faced Sabalenka thrice this season, winning in the final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the quarterfinals of the China Open. Sabalenka beat her in the Australian Open final.
Rybakina and Pegula have locked horns just once in 2023 (Miami Open semifinals), with the former coming out on top. The Kazakh and Maria Sakkari have met each other twice so far, with their head-to-head tied at 1-1. Their most recent meeting came in the quarterfinals of last year's BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, with Sakkari winning in straight sets.
Vondrousova, who is seeded seventh at the WTA Finals, has been drawn alongside second seed Iga Swiatek, third seed Coco Gauff and sixth seed Ons Jabeur.
The Czech and Swiatek have faced each other twice, with the Pole coming out on top on both occasions. She has an identical head-to-head record with Coco Gauff, who most recently beat her in the Round of 16 at the Canadian Open.
Vondrousova has faced Jabeur thrice this season, coming out on top on each occasion, including the Wimbledon final.