Iga Swiatek says performance byes 'make sense', Aryna Sabalenka doesn't 'agree' with them at China Open
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Updated 02/10/2023 at 18:24 GMT
Performance byes have been a talking point on the WTA Tour again this week after world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek both didn't get a traditional first-round bye at the China Open. Sabalenka said she did not "agree" with performance byes, while Swiatek had a differing view. Elena Rybakina was unhappy not to get a bye in Tokyo last week.
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Iga Swiatek has disagreed with several of her WTA rivals over the use of performance byes, saying the rule “makes sense”.
Performance byes allow players who have performed well the previous week to directly enter into the second round of the following tournament so they have more time to adjust to the new time zone and conditions.
At this week’s China Open, world No. 2 Swiatek and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka both missed out on first-round byes – which are traditionally given to the top seeds – and instead saw them given to players who made the semi-finals in Tokyo last week.
Performance byes have been used sporadically on the WTA Tour since 2009, but became a talking point last week after world No. 5 Elena Rybakina expressed frustration about missing out on one for Tokyo.
Speaking after her first-round win in Beijing, Swiatek said: “I didn’t really dig into this rule so much because these are the first tournaments that I’m playing where it’s possible to get this kind of thing. But it’s been on tour for a long time.
“I think it’s smart because usually when I had tournaments that I played till the end, I know how it is to rush to another tournament and not have time to rest and prepare.
"So I think that rule is fine. I think that rule makes sense.
“I just want to focus on myself. For me, doesn’t matter if I’m going to play one more match. It’s another opportunity for me to kind of win and to play. So it doesn’t matter to me if I play another match or not.”
Swiatek’s view was not the same as that of Sabalenka's.
The new world No. 1 seemed to support Rybakina as she said found performance byes "not acceptable".
“I knew because they sent an email before, everyone knew about the performance bye, but I didn't understand it,” Sabalenka said.
“I do not understand that. Players who have byes for having played semi-finals in a lower tournament receive a bye in a 1000 tournament, I don't understand it.
“I think you have to earn those byes. You have to do it for the consistency of your game, not just for playing well in a tournament, so you get this advantage. You have to deserve it, that's why I don't understand it and I don't agree.
“I'm happy for the players who made it, but I think this is not acceptable. I hope the same thing doesn't happen again later. It would be understandable if it went from 1000 in Guadalajara to 1000 here, but not from 500 tournaments to 1000 tournaments.”
Playing for the first time since losing in the US Open final, Sabalenka beat Sofia Kenin 6-1 6-2 and will next face Great Britain’s Katie Boulter.
Maria Sakkari, who followed up her maiden WTA 1000 title in Guadalajara by reaching the semi-finals in Tokyo last week, dismissed the idea that players were not "aware" of performance byes.
“This is not a new rule, I think it has been in place for about 14 years, and that’s actually the case,” Sakkari said.
“However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, this rule was temporarily removed. However, in the past, this performance bye was also used in Beijing.
“We have already been aware of the fact that there will be a performance bye since the tournament will be held from Mexico to Tokyo for about five months.
“I was informed that performance byes are also applied when travelling from Tokyo to Beijing.”
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