The complaint by American tennis player Finn Bass, who chose to start at the ITF in Albuquerque, event of $15k of final prize money, has gone viral on social media. The conditions of the playing courts have not gone unnoticed and the American player has decided to make the current situation public: the ball does not bounce and it is practically impossible to play the tournament regularly.
The athlete thus sent a clear message to the ITF, denounced what happened on X, and receiving praise from fans and other colleagues: "Do better ITF. 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. On the issue he further highlighted: "We have to play on these because the training pitches across the road are too dangerous with bumps and cracks.
The inside is not sufficiently lit. Days before the event was moved indoors, then there was a new change the evening before we started playing on the courts which were impassable." Here is the video (and the words of the US tennis player), which naturally went viral, which left many fans speechless.
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.pic.twitter.com/8CKrC8pTUj — Finn Bass (@finn_bass) September 27, 2023
And meanwhile, David Haggerty has been confirmed as president of the ITF.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. pic.twitter.com/8CKrC8pTUj — Finn Bass (@finn_bass) September 27, 2023
With a percentage of 72.94% and 318 votes in favor out of 436, Haggerty's re-election as President of the International Tennis Federation has just arrived, confirmed after the ITF annual meeting held in Cancun, Mexico, on the 24th September 2023.
This role had already been held by him twice in recent years, and will last 4 years, until 2027. Haggerty, after thanking the members of the ITF for their constant trust, declared: "Our growth strategy sustainable in the long term, ITF 2024, has resulted in ITF funding for tennis development almost doubling in just a few years since its introduction."
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