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The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) faced criticism after Iga Swiatek pulled out of the 2024 Korea Open due to scheduling issues. In other news, Rafael Nadal landed in hot water over his decision to withdraw from the Laver Cup.
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift's boyfriend and NFL star Travis Kelce received backlash for admitting he wanted to heckle Jannik Sinner at the US Open final. Caroline Garcia received flak for inviting controversial Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios on her podcast.
Also, Carlos Alcaraz and his team members were slammed for an overloaded tour schedule after exhaustion complaints following the shock US Open exit.
On that note, here's a recap of the top controversies from last week:
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Backlash erupts over WTA’s Korea Open schedule following Iga Swiatek’s withdrawal
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) faced criticism for the 2024 Korea Open schedule after World No. 1 Iga Swiatek's withdrawal.
Swiatek competed in 14 tournaments this season, including the Summer Olympics in Paris where she won a bronze medal. Additionally, the Polish tennis star has claimed titles at the Qatar Open, BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Madrid Open, Italian Open, and French Open.
After her quarterfinal run at the recently concluded US Open, where she lost to home favorite and eventual finalist Jessica Pegula, Swiatek was scheduled to participate in the 2024 Korea Open (September 16-22). However, it was recently announced that she would not be taking part in the WTA 500 event.
Other players withdrawing from the Korea Open include Jessica Pegula (rib injury), Elena Rybakina (back injury), and Emma Navarro (schedule change).
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal faced criticism after withdrawing from Laver Cup
Rafael Nadal faced backlash for his decision to pull out of the upcoming Laver Cup.
Nadal's last appearance was at the Paris Olympics, where he lost to eventual gold medalist Novak Djokovic in the second round of singles and reached the doubles quarterfinals, losing to silver medalists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
Following the Olympics, Nadal opted out of the US Open, citing a lack of preparedness, and was anticipated to return for the Laver Cup in Berlin. However, it was recently announced via the Laver Cup's official social media account that the Spanish tennis star had withdrawn from the tournament.
"I’m really disappointed to share that I won’t be able to compete at the Laver Cup in Berlin next week. This is a team competition and to really support Team Europe, I need to do what’s best for them and at this moment there are other players who can help the team deliver the win," Nadal said in a statement.
"I have so many great, emotional memories from playing Laver Cup and I was really looking forward to being with my teammates and with Bjorn in his final year as Captain. I wish Team Europe the very best of luck and will be cheering them on from afar," the Spanish tennis icon added.
Taylor Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce landed in hot water after admitting he considered heckling Jannik Sinner in the US Open final
Taylor Swift's boyfriend and NFL star Travis Kelce drew criticism for expressing his desire to heckle Jannik Sinner during the 2024 US Open final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
In the final, top-seeded Sinner triumphed over 12th seed and local favorite Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, securing his second Grand Slam title.
Kelce, who attended the match with the American pop star, mentioned on an episode of the 'New Heights' podcast that, although he considered heckling, he ultimately chose to remain respectful. The Kansas City Chiefs' tight end also remarked that the atmosphere at the event felt quiet, which was unusual for him since he’s not typically a quiet person.
"I’ve always been the kid in the back of the class when it gets quiet, say something smart or say something funny, at least try to get a rise out of people. So the entire time I wanted to heckle the Italian, Sinner," Kelce said.
Caroline Garcia drew criticism for doing a podcast episode with Nick Kyrgios
Caroline Garcia faced backlash for recording a podcast episode with controversial Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios.
Recently, Garcia garnered attention after sharing several images of abusive messages she received following some of her losses. The French tennis star made strong points about how such abuse can harm younger players on tour and highlighted that social media platforms fail to prevent it.
Kyrgios, meanwhile, has been the subject of criticism on multiple occasions, most recently for his comments about Jannik Sinner's doping controversy and a controversial remark about the Italian's girlfriend, Anna Kalinskaya, who the Australian dated briefly back in 2020.
Despite this, Garcia promoted her podcast episode featuring Kyrgios on X, calling him "one of the most charismatic players on tour."
Check out the post here:
Many tennis fans criticized Garcia for collaborating with Kyrgios, accusing him of being an "abuser" and argued that he should not be given a platform.
Carlos Alcaraz and team criticized for tight tour scheduling after US Open upset
Carlos Alcaraz and his team faced heavy criticism over the packed tour schedule following his shock exit from the US Open and complaints of exhaustion.
The Paris Olympics silver medalist admitted he was both mentally and physically drained in a post-match press conference following his second-round loss to Botic van de Zandschulp 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 at the US Open.
Despite this, Alcaraz went on to lead Spain into the 2024 Davis Cup Knockout stage and is now preparing for the upcoming Laver Cup. Afterward, he is set to participate in the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia, followed by another appearance for Spain in the Davis Cup Finals. Two additional exhibition events in New York and Charlotte are also scheduled.
In addition to these commitments, the Spanish tennis star is expected to compete at the prestigious Masters 1000 tournaments in Paris and Shanghai, and the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.
This dense schedule has sparked concern among fans on X (formerly Twitter), who have questioned how the Spaniard can claim fatigue after his early US Open exit.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
