Madrid Open director Feliciano Lopez has responded to criticism from WTA players regarding the perceived unequal treatment of women at the tournament.
The Madrid Open is a joint tournament that offers equal prize money for all participants on both the ATP and WTA tours.
However, the tournament, led by director Feliciano Lopez, has faced controversy in the past. Last year, an incident during the women’s doubles finals tarnished the tournament’s reputation.
Lopez, a former ATP pro and tournament director since 2019, reportedly instructed to skip post-match speeches by the female finalists, causing discontent among the players.
Victoria Azarenka, part of the winning duo, later criticized the decision as “unacceptable,” while runners-up Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula expressed their displeasure on social media. The tournament eventually issued an apology for the incident.
Three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur recently voiced concerns about the promotion of women’s tennis at the tournament, which Lopez has contested.
Lopez addressed these issues and responded to accusations of sexism made by WTA doubles player Ellen Perez regarding unequal training opportunities for women’s doubles players.
“I think we did a few things last year that shouldn’t have happened, but we learned from our mistakes. We were among the first tournaments to offer equal prize money to women and men. I believe we treat everyone equally.”
“We strive to be fair and equal in all aspects. While there may be frustrations, we aim to provide equal opportunities. We acknowledged past mistakes and have moved forward to ensure everyone’s satisfaction.”
