Tennis fans react as WTA Player Awards see Jasmine Paolini snub and strange Emma Raducanu inclusion

On Wednesday, the nominees were set for the WTA Player Awards and it stirred a fair bit of controversy especially with two choices as Jasmine Paolini was left out of the Most Improved shortlist.

Paolini is up for two awards on the list as WTA Player of the Year albeit with the record of Aryna Sabalenka this year, it is very much likely that she will take said award. She is also up for Doubles Team of the Year with Sara Errani.

But she is not up for Most Improved Player of the Year with the five player shortlist featuring some good picks but Paolini as a blatant absentee. "Insane that Jasmine Paolini is not among the Most Improved Players," one wrote. "Paolini should be in the most improved category 'cause she's not winning POTY and she deserves a win. Not sure what Kalinskaya is doing there, imo it should be Fręch. I understand Collins' nomination even though it's a bit weird as she was in a slam final before," another said.

"I know that Paolini finished 30 last year but when you go from #30 to #4 in one year, make 2 Slam Finals after never been past the 2nd round of a major, it’s hard to think that there could be a more improved player in 2024," said another user on social media platform X.

But some choices in Comeback Player of the Year also stirred controversy with Emma Raducanu included despite the Brit spending a fair chunk of the season not playing either due to personal choice or injury. Karolina Muchova and Paula Badosa though are expected to be the main players in the running for the award.

"Raducanu nominated for “comeback player” of the year. She skipped half the season and cherry picked the big events only if WC was provided," a social media user wrote.

"Never has such an average player been so overrated. Three years and it’s still going on. At some point is has to stop? Right?"