Tennis Controversies of the Week: Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek switching places after surprising penalty causes furor; Rafael Nadal’s Novak Djokovic remark draws flak, and more
Rafael Nadal received backlash from Novak Djokovic fans over the former’s “backhanded compliment” to the Serb. In other news, WTA drew ire over the zero-point penalty rule that enabled Aryna Sabalenka’s No. 1 ranking spot takeover from Iga Swiatek.
Meanwhile, Stan Wawrinka faced criticism for laughing at Jannik Sinner’s “money” comment regarding the Italian’s Six Kings Slam invite. Sports media outlet sparked outrage for ranking Coco Gauff ahead of Novak Djokovic among the 2024’s most marketable tennis stars.
Also, Ben Shelton defended himself against fan outrage over his Swiss Indoors Basel controversy. Paula Badosa was criticized for reviving her China Open racism controversy.
On that note, here’s a recap of the top controversies from last week:
WTA’s zero-point rule came under fire as Aryna Sabalenka surpassed Iga Swiatek for top ranking spot
The WTA is under fire for its zero-point penalty rule, which allowed Aryna Sabalenka to surpass Iga Swiatek for the No. 1 ranking during the latter’s tour absence. Per WTA rules, players must compete in six WTA 500 events annually, but Sabalenka played in four, and Swiatek in two.
Swiatek, once leading by over 4,200 points, skipped the Asian swing after her US Open quarterfinal exit, allowing Sabalenka to close the gap by winning in Cincinnati, Wuhan, and the US Open.
Points were deducted due to penalties for not meeting the WTA 500 quota; Swiatek lost 120 points, dropping to 9,665, while Sabalenka lost 10, bringing her to 9,706. Consequently, Sabalenka claimed the top ranking.
