Stan Wawrinka strode into Kazakhstan as world no. 40 and the 8th seed to play in the 2023 Astana Open. Prior to his departure to the east Asian country, Wawrinka stayed in America for a few days after his third-round defeat to Jannik Sinner in the US Open. Around the same time that the Astana Open commenced, a $15k Futures tournament was set to begin in Albuquerque.
The ITF event hosts tier-2 professional players from across the world and serves as a platform for upcoming talent to hone their chops. ITF tournaments generally serve as a route to the higher-level ATP tour, which hosts Masters 500 and 1000 events and grand slams.
Stan Wawrinka raises question over conditions in Albuquerque
On Thursday (September 28), World No. 1440 Finn Bass took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his concerns on the surface that was used at the ITF M15 Albuquerque event. The Brit posted videos that showcased a lack of bounce on the red hardcourt. The balls clearly do not bounce to the expected height in the video.
He also lambasted the global tennis body for disregarding the welfare of tennis players.
“Do better… @ITFTennis, @usta. Completely unacceptable conditions here at M15 Albuquerque, can evidently see the courts are not playable in any way shape or form. Absolutely no respect or care for player welfare and how much money we spend to compete in these tournaments,” the Brit wrote.
Stan Wawrinka added some star power and oomph to the discussion by reposting the Brit’s tweet on X.
“@ITFTennis any comment?”, he wrote and captioned it with a facepalm emoji.
The global pool of tennis talent is a vast cauldron of amateur and professional players who strive for elite success and yearn for the opportune moment to break out into the top 200s of the ATP ranking. It is a shame that the tennis federation is providing subpar courts to players who are not deemed worthy of care in their eyes. The situation needs to change to provide space for excellence among budding athletes.
Wawrinka faced Marcos Giron in Astana Open
While Stan Wawrinka was busy tweeting his displeasure at the state of the courts in Albuquerque, his opponent Marcos Giron was preparing for their first round meeting at the Astana Open, which is taking place in Astana, Kazakhstan. Stars like Dominic Thiem, Adrian Mannarino, and Sebastian Korda, among others, are taking part.
Giron was clearly the underdog in the clash. Stan Wawrinka, who produced quality tennis at the US Open before his exit to the world No.7 Sinner, would have looked to ease through his clash.
However, in a tense contest, Giron upset the three-time grand slam finalist Wawrinka 6-7, 7-6, 7-6. The upset knocked the Swiss out of the contest much earlier than expected and is sure to send shockwaves amongst the top seeds, who would look to have it easy.
Wawrinka is set to return to Switzerland, before embarking on further quests in the remainder of the calender year.
What are your opinions on the state of the tennis courts for ITF players? How long will the tennis body disregard lower-ranked players and appease the elite? Let us know in the comments section below.
