DOHA — Serena Williams heads for next year as world No1, WTA Championships, Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, but there is a worrying storm gathering over women’s tennis.
The new year should spark a celebration of marquee match- ups where the Williams sisters renew their epic rivalry with the returning Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin. Hopes are also high for a fully fit Maria Sharapova to grace more tennis courts than red carpets, while Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka lead the new generation.
Williams pocketed 1,55m for relieving sister Venus of her WTA Championships title in Doha on Sunday but it was not the only mind-boggling sum giving the WTA headaches.
The deadline for a renewal of the tour’s 88m , six-year agreement with title sponsor Sony Ericsson is the end of the year but the global financial crisis is never far from sports’ front doors.
“We are looking at our sponsorship seriously. We haven’t made any decision yet, and all options are open,” said Aldo Ligouri, vice-president and head of global communications at Sony Ericsson. When the deal was signed in 2005, it represented a much-needed boost for the WTA, which had been without a title sponsor in 2003 and 2004.
However, Ericsson recently reported a 74% fall in net profit blamed on falling sales and problems at its Sony Ericsson venture. If that was not enough, there are signs that the WTA Roadmap, designed to protect the long-term health of its top stars, may not be having the desired effect.
The 4,55m WTA Championships featured the world’s top eight players. By the end of the week, however, 10 had taken part, with one alternate even being replaced by another.
Dinara Safina lasted just two games and 12 minutes, losing her world No1 spot, while Wozniacki and Azarenka quit before the end of their involvement. Serena played the final with her left thigh bandaged; Venus needed protection for her left knee.
“We definitely weren’t physically 100% . But it just shows you how much we try,” said Serena, who blamed physical exhaustion on her decision to withdraw from the US team to face Italy in the Fed Cup final.
In 2009, players saw their WTA tournament commitment cut from 13 to 10. “We were asking the athletes to play 13 commitments, and they’re down to 10,” said WTA CE Stacey Allaster.
“If we don’t have healthy athletes, you know, we can’t have a level of product that we want.”