"Merger": Nick Kyrgios responds to Iga Swiatek's "empty seats" comment at 2023 WTA Finals

Nick Kyrgios reacted to Iga Swiatek's comments about the 'empty seats' at the WTA Finals.

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek had a successful debut in her third consecutive participation in the WTA Finals, claiming victory over the 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova with a score of 7-6(3), 6-0 in a masterclass of tennis.

In the in-court interview after the match, Swiatek urged Mexican fans to attend the tournament to fill the empty seats that were visible during the first two days. The video shared on social media drew a response from the Australian Nick Kyrgios:

"I hope for the next matches we can make the stadium full, because there are many empty seats. Guys, please come and watch our game. We are giving 100% in every match," Iga Swiatek said.

"'Merger," Nick Kyrgios wrote on X.

The venue for the Finals in Cancun was announced just six weeks ago, and the organization had to prepare the tournament against the clock. Just days before the start of the tournament, there were still sections of the stadium under construction, and the players themselves did not have enough time to train on the main court.

The WTA has faced criticism for the delay in securing a venue for the Finals, especially considering that they encountered a similar situation last year. In 2022, the confirmed venue was Fort Worth, Texas, only a few weeks before the event, and not all the tickets were sold, leading to matches with less than half of the seats occupied.

The third day of the tournament will be played on Tuesday, October 31, with two new matches in Group X. First, Jessica Pegula (5th) will challenge the world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, and whoever wins would be practically assured of a spot in the semifinals.

The day will conclude with a match between Elena Rybakina (4th) and Maria Sakkari (8th), both of whom are under pressure to win as they started the round-robin with a loss.