Korea Open Mystery: What Kept the World’s Top Female Players Away
Women’s Professional Tennis (WTA) Tour Hana Bank Korea Open: Top Players Withdraw Due to Injuries
The 20th edition of the Women’s Professional Tennis (WTA) Tour Hana Bank Korea Open has been promoted from WTA 250 to 500 level, attracting top-ranked players from around the world. However, the tournament has been marred by the withdrawal of several top players, including world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula, 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina, and US Open semifinalist Emma Navarro.
Tournament Director Lee Jin-soo explained that the players’ withdrawal was due to injuries and a grueling schedule. “After Wimbledon, players usually rest for 2-3 weeks, but because of the Olympics, they played in Europe’s 1000-level tournaments, the French Open, and Wimbledon, and stayed in Europe to compete in the Olympics,” he said. “After that, there were the Toronto, Canada, Cincinnati 1000 series, and the US Open for 2 weeks. Since the players compete for more than 10 weeks, injuries are bound to occur.”
Lee also revealed that Swiatek had expressed dissatisfaction with the schedule, while Pegula had played almost every day while going to the finals in Cincinnati and the finals of the US Open. Rybakina had confirmed her participation in the Australian Open, Madrid Open, and Wimbledon, but suddenly withdrew in the second round of the US Open due to injury.
The tournament organizers have apologized for the banners and promotional materials featuring the withdrawn players. “We had to produce the promotional materials in advance, and Sibiontek contacted us the day before the competition, following Rybakina four days before the competition, to inform us that they would not be participating,” Lee explained.
The plan is to improve starting next year through consultation with the WTA. “Some fans are saying, ‘Isn’t this fraud?’ but that’s not true,” Lee said. “I thought it would be polite to investigate other competitions, conduct an internal review, and then announce it through a press conference.”
The tournament will start on the 16th and run until the 22nd, featuring British star Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, who will be competing in this tournament for the first time in two years.
<img src="https://file2.nocutnews.co.kr/newsroom/image/2024/09/16/2024091621121257340.jpg” alt=”Jin-soo Lee, TD, who is leading the Hana Bank Korea Open, a women’s professional tennis (WTA) tour, for the 20th time. Organizing Committee” class=”fr-fic fr-dib” loading=”lazy” width=”100%”/>
