The WTA Finals have released a statement in response to the poor attendance figures in Riyadh.
On day two of the season-ending championships in Saudi Arabia, approximately 400 people watched Coco Gauff defeat Jessica Pegula.
2024 marks the first time that the WTA Finals have been held in a Middle Eastern country and opinion on the news was divided.
The lack of crowds has become a major talking point this week with the tournament set to continue into its third day on Tuesday.
What did the WTA say about the lack of crowds at the Finals?
Saudi Arabia continued to increase their involvement in sports when they were confirmed as the new hosts of the WTA Finals.
The contract lasts until 2026 and so far the first of its three editions has produced some good tennis on court, but not many people have been in the stands to witness it, especially on day two.
Fans and members of the media have criticised the lack of fans at the tournament, and the WTA Tour have issued a response, and seemed unphased by the low numbers.
“We’re bringing tennis to a new audience and that takes time to build,” their statement via The Telegraph read, while emphasising the “strong attendance at the opening day.”
They added: “We always anticipated lower attendance with the start of the Saudi working week on Sunday but anticipate that numbers will build as we approach the weekend.”
Players respond to lack of crowds at WTA Finals
Fans and pundits have had their say on the small crowds at the WTA Finals, such as Tim Henman, who was furious.
“I think it’s just been disappointing,” he told Sky Sports Tennis. “It’s just a little bit frustrating, and I think, disappointing for the top eight players in the world that we haven’t had a better atmosphere.
“The first day was OK, which was part of the Saudi weekend, but yesterday, to have 300-400 in the crowd when you’ve got a 5,000 seater stadium, it just doesn’t create the atmosphere that these great players deserve.”
In response, Iga Swiatek, who is competing at the WTA Finals, would prefer more fans in the arena, but she explained how the small crowd numbers has benefitted her.
“I think it was also comfortable for me because it was my first match after a break, so the fact it wasn’t super crazy also made it kind of easier for me,” she said.
“I think there’s gonna be more crowd [across the week]. I guess today is the first working day because they have their weekend on Friday and Saturday, so we’ll see how it’s going to go in the next days.”
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