Over and out: Just a day before main draw play was set to get started at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, Venus Williams pulled out of the WTA event. While the tournament suffers — as has San Diego and other events this year — Venus doesn’t take much of a hit on her pull out. Sure, there might be an appearance fee that goes unpaid, but is that much to Miss V? Not really. So that has us curious: Should players owe more than just their apologies when pulling out of tournaments last minute?
Weigh in on this question in the comments section.
(Image via Getty)
tennis served fresh 
August 8, 2011 at 9:00 am |
I mean, she made the trip to Canada, was even at the official draw…I think that if there wasn’t a real health issue she would certainly have played. So I’d say no, if you’re not healthy enough to play an apology is all you owe
August 8, 2011 at 10:00 am |
I guess it all depends on the reason for the withdrawal – there are good excuses (like a very recent injury) and not so good ones (like fatigue). Some players, like Rafa, seem to relate to their fans better, and are very concerned for the inevitable disappointment they feel at a last minute withdrawal. Others are more egocentric and probably don’t think of their followers until there is a new book to be sold.
August 8, 2011 at 10:10 am |
Those are both good points. I think Venus was good to go to Canada and make an appearance. But it’s hard with what SD went through and more notably, a couple of years ago with the ladies pulling out en masse just prior to tourneys. These events rely on the big names, whether we like it or not. Perhaps this is a broader discussion of how the WTA continues to market itself, putting more of its weight on the top names and less on the quality of the game, which, IMO, is higher than ever.