"I absolutely lost it; we work hard... not making a difference" - Victoria Azarenka on persistent scheduling issues after Cincinnati Open match

Victoria Azarenka was left disappointed yet again at the 2023 Cincinnati Open due to the persistent scheduling issues faced by tennis players of late.

Numerous tennis players, including Azarenka, Iga Swiatek, and Elena Rybakina, have frequently voiced their discontent about the haphazard scheduling of tennis matches.

At the ongoing Cincinnati Open, the Belarusian, who also played doubles with Beatriz Haddad Maia, was set for an opening-round singles clash against Barbora Krejcikova on August 15. She defeated the Czech 6-3, 7-5, but revealed that she had not received the match schedule even as the clock neared midnight earlier that day.

“This is the only sport in the world where you don’t know when you’re going to play. It was 11PM yesterday and I didn’t know when I’m going to play. This is unacceptable in any shape or form,” Azarenka revealed after her opening match at the Cincinnati Open, as per tennis.com.

In an effort to make the sport more accessible and reliable, Azarenka, a longtime member of the WTA Players Council, has regularly insisted that certain changes be made to the format of tennis matches. She has proposed shortening the ties and implementing a 12-point tiebreak instead of a third set as well as utilizing side courts instead of waiting for the matches to be over on the center courts. She, however, believes that the players’ concerns are going unheard.

“I absolutely lost it yesterday because we work so hard in the Players Council and I just felt so frustrated, like I’m not making a difference and I put a lot of time, a lot of effort and I’m very direct,” Azarenka said, fuming.

“I try to be reasonable, I try to compromise, I try to create ideas and we are moving at the slowest pace to get things done. There are some things behind the scenes that we’re working on, but it’s time to get something concrete done,” she added.

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"These late finishes aren't benefitting anyone" – Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka suffered a loss to Donna Vekic in the second round of the 2023 Cincinnati Open

Recently, Elena Rybakina and Daria Kasatkina’s rain-delayed Canadian Open quarterfinal match concluded just minutes shy of 3 am after a grueling three hours and 27 minutes of play.

There have been numerous such instances of late-night finishes and weather-related delays this year. Victoria Azarenka claimed that such circumstances are beneficial neither to the players nor to the fans and broadcasters.

“These late finishes aren’t benefitting anyone. They’re not benefitting fans, tournaments, broadcasting because there are no primetime spots, and it’s impossible to find tennis on TV or anywhere. You’re looking for it like it’s some treasure,” she said at the Cincinnati Open.

She insisted that the primetime matches start earlier than what is currently being practiced.

“The night matches have to start earlier: 6PM, 8:30PM slots. We want to help tennis, we want to help players, and we all want to make more money. That’s obvious, but all of these things tie together,” she expressed.

Azarenka further revealed her approach to the whole situation and stated that she would strive to find solutions.

“I’m the person who will ask questions: ‘Why not? What can be done? What is the solution?’ I don’t know all the answers, but we should also be thinking outside the box. I want to listen to players’ voices, and I also want to understand the tournaments’ points. In this mixture, that’s what, I feel, would be compromise,” she said.

On Wednesday, August 16, Victoria Azarenka crashed out of the Cincinnati Open will a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 loss to Donna Vekic in the second round.