“Doesn’t make sense”: Tennis fans expressed anger after introduction of ‘performance byes’ system for Tokyo Open main round draw
WTASunday, 24 September 2023 at 08:00
Tennis fans have expressed their protest after the introduction
of the ‘performance byes’ system in the draw system.
The new system has been used for the upcoming 2023 Tokyo
Open singles draw where the third-seed Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina has been put
in an unfavourable position.
The 24-year-old will face Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova in
the opening round of the competition whereas fourth and fifth-seeded players — Greece’s
Maria Sakkari and France’s Caroline Garcia—will qualify straight to the second
round.
That outcome left the tennis fans unimpressed and they
shared their thoughts on social media platform X — previously known as Twitter.
The ‘performance byes’ system awards the players for their
performances leading up to the competition.
Rybakina has not played any professional tennis since her disappointing outing at the US Open 2023.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion was knocked out from the fourth
and final Grand Slam of the year after losing to Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in
the third round with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-4.
On the other hand, Sakkari and Garcia faced off in the semifinal
of the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open on Saturday where the former came out on top in
straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-0. Sakkari even went on to win the Guadalajara Open.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- This article is SPOT ON!!!Rapunzel04-09-2026
- This article is SPOT ON!!!Rapunzel04-09-2026
- Is there no one in Pro Tennis willing to give this one some form of intervention before she crashes??
mandoist04-09-2026 - Double Standards for the male players? Gross. BTW: This "apology" reads like the one his lawyers wrote for him when he had to go to the Kangaroo Court for slapping his girlfriend around.mandoist04-09-2026
- From Day One, legalizing Sports Betting was never going to end well (for The Sport... not just the thousands who lose their livelihoods and bank accounts). We're not even close to the end of the damage this is causing.mandoist03-09-2026
- From Day One, legalizing Sports Betting was never going to end well (for The Sport... not the thousands who lose their livelihoods and bank accounts). We're not even close to the end of the damage this is causing.mandoist03-09-2026
- In her defense... she has no "defense" and likely could not articulate it if she did.mandoist03-09-2026
- Someone is not enjoying her gradual slide down the rankings, which became noticeable last season. BTW: That reporter's on to something familiar -- the effects of Social Media Stardom on one's Second Priority (Tennis). Shades of Bouchard, Giorgi, Raducanu, etc.mandoist03-09-2026
- Sabalenka seems so unhappy. When you get angry after every mistake you make on court, you’ve got some issues sweetie! She also does seem to be “partying” a lot if you follow her social media (I don’t lolol). Very immature personality.DaveyWavey03-09-2026
- The main difference for bigger names like Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverez, etc. is that they usually make it to the later stages of tournaments while 99% of the other players win a round or two and then move on to the next tournament. The bigger names are playing more, playing longer and therefore more injury issues. The money is great but it all comes with a price!DaveyWavey03-09-2026
Loading
