"There's a historic lack of star power and household names in women's tennis, it's not normal" - Tennis journalist
Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg believes that the WTA Tour is experiencing a lack of "star power" and has expressed his concerns about players unable to retain their eminence.
Over the years, WTA has produced some of tennis's biggest names. From Margaret Court to Serena Williams, women's tennis has evolved over the years, and athletes have delivered breathtaking results.
Players have often reached the brink of breaking set records and later, successfully cleared milestones once thought unachievable.
However, according to Ben Rothenberg, the women's tennis division now seems to be in troubled waters. In the past years, some of the greatest rising stars in the circuit have either retired from the sport or have been simply unable to keep up the stature they once attained.
He spoke about how Japanese star Naomi Osaka has devoided the sport of her mere attendance after recently retired Serena Williams "passed the torch" to her. He also highlighted Ash Barty's abrupt retirement and Anett Kontaveit, 27, announcing her departure less than a year after facing Williams at the 2022 US Open.
Rothenberg also added that sensational players such as Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka "have not broken through to a wider public outside of their home countries." Moreover, American tennis prodigy Coco Gauff has failed to meet her fans' expectations.
Discussing such developments, Ben Rothenberg spoke about how players are unable to keep up with the sport's competitive nature and wondered about the reasons behind this.
“There’s arguably a historic lack of star power and household names in women’s tennis right now. (Emma) Raducanu was a big break-out star when she won the US Open, now she’s not in the top 100. (Garbine) Muguruza outside the top 100."
“WTA has a special attrition problem. There’s a lot of turnover. Why is it unsustainable? Why are these women having such a tough time staying healthy and happy atop the sport? What has been so corrosive about it physically and mentally and emotionally? It’s not normal. It’s concerning."
Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg is dismayed by Billie Jean King and WTA's alliance with Saudi Arabia
Ben Rothenberg has slammed the WTA and retired American tennis player Billie Jean King after learning about their association with Saudi Arabia.
On his No Challenges Remaining podcast, Rothenberg discussed the reactions to King and the WTA condoning the sport's dealings with Saudi Arabia. This is despite the country's record on human rights issues and repression of women and the LGBTQI+ community.
Big names such as Andy Murray and the legendary John McEnroe have expressed their opposition to accepting Saudi money. Rothenberg highlighted how former World No. 1 Billie Jean King, an advocate for women's and LGBTQI+ rights, ironically sided with Saudi Arabia.
“She gave it her blessing. It was shocking for people, honestly. They were like, wow, Billie Jean King who became famous as this icon of feminism and champion of LGBT rights, and in case you missed it, Saudi Arabia is not known for its feminism nor its LGBT rights. It was jarring for people,” Rothenberg said.
Saudi Arabia has been laying down the red carpet for major sports bodies over the last few years. While some are appalled by this, others see it as the beginning of the nation opening up and changing itself gradually.