Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka's coaches echo Sabalenka's criticism of Cancun Finals court

Aryna Sabalenka recently voiced her frustration with the WTA over the allegedly poor conditions and organization of the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico.

Sabalenka's criticism has now been echoed by her coach Anton Dubrov and Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov. The two coaches have lauded the Belarusian for speaking up, and called for more accountability from the WTA.

The WTA Finals is the most prestigious and lucrative event in women’s tennis outside the Grand Slams, featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams of the season. It is supposed to be a showcase of the best talent and quality in the sport, but this year’s edition has been marred by controversy and complaints.

Many players, including Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova, have complained about the delayed construction of facilities for the year-end tournament, especially the hardcourts that were hastily built for the event.

Sabalenka, who is playing in her third consecutive WTA Finals, was particularly vocal about her displeasure with the WTA and the experience so far. She posted a lengthy statement on her Instagram stories after winning her opening match against Maria Sakkari in straight sets, saying that she felt "disrespected" by the WTA and that she did not feel "safe" moving on the court.

"I am very disappointed with the WTA and the experience so far at the WTA Finals. As I said in my press conference tonight, as a player I really feel disrespected by the WTA. I think most of us do. This is not the level of organization we expect for the Finals," Aryna Sabalenka wrote.

"To be honest, I don’t feel safe moving on this court a lot of the time, the bounce is not consistent at all, and we weren’t able to practice on this court until yesterday for the first time," Aryna Sabalenka continued. "It’s just not acceptable to me with so much on the line and so much at stake."

Sabalenka’s statement received support from many, including her own coach Anton Dubrov. He shared Sabalenka’s story on his own Instagram account on Monday, October 30.

"Someone has to take responsibility for that," Dubrov wrote on Instagram.

He also tagged the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), an organization that aims to represent the interests and rights of players and challenge the status quo of tennis governance.

Rybakina's coach Vukov also shared the World No. 1's story on his Instagram and captioned it with a string of clapping hands emojis.

"👏👏👏👏."

Aryna Sabalenka's coach Anton Dubrov and Elena Rybakina's coach Stefano Vukov on Instagram

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WTA defends Finals venue after Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and others blast court quality

Chairman and CEO Steve Simon at the WTA 50th Anniversary Gala

The WTA has responded to complaints from players like Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and others about the Finals stadium conditions. They have defended the stadium construction, saying that it was done quickly in spite of difficult weather situations.

They also claimed that the construction was carried out in the best way possible, following an "expedited timeline."

"The team has worked diligently on an expedited timeline amid weather challenges to ensure the stadium and court meet our strict performance standards," the WTA said in a statement.