Madrid Open organisers apologise for not allowing women's doubles finalists to make speeches

1 year ago 26

Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia airs with their trophies, with Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff chatting to tourney manager Feliciano Lopez successful the background

Madrid Open organisers person apologised to players and fans for the "unacceptable decision" to not let the women's doubles finalists to marque presumption speeches.

Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia bushed Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff 6-1 6-4 connected Sunday.

All finalists successful the singles and the men's doubles addressed the assemblage aft their matches.

Organisers accidental they person apologised straight to the 4 players involved.

'What period were they surviving in?' - Pegula connected Madrid Open

Tournament main enforcement Gerard Tsobanian said: "We sincerely apologise to each the players and fans who expect much of the Mutua Madrid Open tournament.

"Not giving our women's doubles finalists the accidental to code their fans astatine the extremity of the lucifer was unacceptable and we person apologised straight to Victoria, Beatriz, Coco and Jessica.

"We are moving internally and with the WTA (Women's Tennis Association) to reappraisal our protocols and are committed to improving our process moving forward. We made a mistake and this volition not ever hap again."

Organisers had initially said they would "not remark connected the matter" erstwhile contacted by BBC Sport earlier this week.

Pegula said the determination was "disappointing" and questioned "what period everyone was surviving in", portion Belarus' Azarenka said it was "hard to explain" to her young lad Leo wherefore she was not capable to code him successful a triumph speech.

The Professional Tennis Players' Association said the players had been denied "the close to state of expression".

The WTA, the governing assemblage of the women's tour, has not commented.

The incidental brought much accusations of sexism astatine the clay-court tournament, aft disapproval implicit the shot girls' outfits and the quality successful sizes of the day cakes presented to men's champion Carlos Alcaraz and women's champion Aryna Sabalenka.

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