Formed in 1973 on the principle of equality, the Women’s Tennis Association was formed to carve a better future for women’s tennis.
The Women’s Tennis Association is the governing body of women’s professional tennis. Since its foundation, the WTA has been the leading voice in promoting and growing the sport among women, arousing interest in the audience. Like the ATP tour, the WTA tour is the premier international women’s tennis tour with over 50 events held in more than 30 countries across the globe.
WTA History:
The Women’s Tennis Association was founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King and has its corporate headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida.
At the time, women’s tennis was facing significant challenges, including unequal prize money limited opportunities for Women to compete, and a lack of recognition for their achievements. By the 1970s, the ratio of male tennis players and women tennis players had increased up to 12:1. Women were exploited financially and given fewer chances to compete.
With the aim to revolutionize women’s sports, Billie Jean King and a group of female players decided to take action and form the WTA.
The WTA aimed to address these issues and provide a platform for women to compete at the highest level. The first WTA Tour was held in 1972 and over the next few years the tour expanded to include events in other countries. The number of events on the calendar increased significantly.
In the 1980s, the WTA tour reached new heights, with many of the sport’s biggest names competing on the circuit, including Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, and Steffi Graf. This period was marked by the growth of women’s tennis as a global sport.
WTA Rankings:
Barely Surviving in a male-dominated sport, women tennis professionals were given fewer chances to play. Women tennis professionals fell prey to less and unjust ratings.
As for today, the Women’s Tennis Association’s rankings are the most authoritative and widely recognized rankings in women’s professional tennis. Like the ATP, the WTA uses the ‘best of’ method to formulate a player’s rankings. These rankings are based on the performance of a player over the last 52 weeks.
These rankings provide a clear indication of the player’s current form and vitality. The word ‘current’ refers to the fact that points are deducted with the passage of time and replaced with new ones. This ensures that the latest rankings are provided that judge a payer on her recent performances.
The WTA rankings are used by tournament organizers to design the entry criteria for tournaments. A player’s eligibility to compete in any WTA event is measured on the basis of these points.
As at 2/2/2023, the top 5 rankings stand as follows:
- Iga Swiatek from Poland- 10485 points
- Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus- 6100 points
- Ons Jabeur from Tunisia- 5210 points
- Jessica Pegula from USA- 5000 points
- Caroline Garcia from France- 4645 points.
(Please note that these rankings are dynamic and tend to change.)
What are the Major WTA events?
Ranging from Grand Slams to smaller, international tournaments, the WTA events provide female tennis players of all abilities with the opportunity to compete at the highest level and showcase their talent.
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour is comprised of over 50 events that are held in more than 30 countries around the world.
The WTA events play a crucial role in promoting women’s tennis. They provide fans with the chance to see their best female tennis players in the world compete at the highest level.
Based on their prize money, ranking points, and level of competition, the WTA Tour can be categorized into the following tiers:
- Grand Slams:
The Grand Slams are the most prestigious events in women’s tennis. The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open are the events with the highest ranking points, highest prize money and the largest audience in women’s tennis. The Grand Slams are sure to attract top female tennis professionals from all over the globe.
- Premier Mandatory Tournaments:
Held in some of the most exciting cities around the world; BNP Paribas Open, Miami Open, China Open, the Rolex Shanghai Master, and 5 more events from part of these tournaments. These tournaments are mandatory for top-ranked players to participate.
- Premier 5 Tournaments:
After The Grand Slams, The Premier 5 Tournaments take the stage as the second biggest event. These tournaments include the Italian Open, Canadian Open, Wuhan Open, and the Qatar Total Open. These events offer substantial prize money and high-level competition.
- International Tournaments:
International tournaments are a series of events held in countries around the world, that offer a range of prizes and ranking points. These events provide opportunities for people of all abilities to play on the bigger stage and try to make a name for themselves.
Other Events:
Apart from these 4 major events, the WTA Tour also includes several other events such as the WTA Finals, WTA 125K Series, and the WTA Challenger events. These Events can be considered to be a sort of promotional event as their main goal is to provide the women’s tennis audience with further entertainment while giving upcoming tennis professionals a stage to gain experience and confidence.
FAQs:
What is WTA Future Stars program?
A global initiative that provides young girls with access to high-level training and coaching.
What is WTA committed to promoting?
The WTA is committed to promoting equality and diversity in women’s tennis. It strives for the protection of women’s rights in tennis.