"The players are not happy": Paula Badosa backs "united" players

Paula Badosa spoke about the controversies surrounding the 2023 WTA Finals and praised her colleagues for not overlooking the organization's shortcomings.

Former world No. 2 has been out of the WTA Tour for four months since her retirement in the second round of Wimbledon while playing against Marta Kostyuk (2-6, 0-1). Paula Badosa has been recovering from an injury but will return to official play in the coming days.

The Spanish player is in Sevilla for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals with her country, but Badosa has been following what happened in the last few days at the WTA Finals in Cancun:

“I think it's very good that they complained, because when we don't like something, we should say so,” Badosa said.

“I think that until now there was a lack of unity between us, and that is not the case now,” she added.

“The players are not happy. We have a [WhatsApp] group in which we talk to see if we can change things in the WTA, because it can be improved. They are forcing us to play more and longer tournaments, and in the end we are in a cycle from which we cannot get out,” Paula Badosa added.

The recent champion of the Finals and the new world No. 1, Iga Swiatek, has also recently joined the criticism against the WTA and acknowledged that the tennis players are more united than ever to prevent these situations:

“I am on tour for four years, but this is the first time that we are actually really kind of united to have an impact and to do something. Because, yes, we are not happy with some things and we want to, for sure change the schedule for next year,” the 4-times Grand Slam champion said in a press conference in Cancun.

“We’re gonna have much more mandatory tournaments and it is going to have a huge negative impact on our health and well-being,” Iga Swiatek added. “I am 22, and I played two of the most intense seasons in my life, and I already feel like it’s gonna be tough for me to continue for so many years ahead if WTA is gonna go that way.”