The 2024 Madrid Open has already sparked controversy, with doubles star Ellen Perez accusing tournament director Feliciano Lopez of not allowing women’s doubles players to practice on site during the main hours. In 2023, the event faced criticism for various management decisions, including unequal treatment of WTA players compared to ATP players. Notable instances include the disparity in birthday cakes for Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka, as well as World No. 1 Iga Swiatek expressing displeasure about the scheduling of her matches.
Further accusations of misogyny arose after the women’s doubles finalists (Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Victoria Azarenka, and Beatriz Haddad Maia) were denied the chance to address the crowd after their matches. In response to a tweet recalling these incidents, Ellen Perez revealed that Lopez has not allowed WTA doubles players to practice on the courts at the tournament between 9 am and 5 pm. She called the tournament a “disgrace” for making such a decision. According to Perez, if women’s doubles players want to practice during those hours, they are sent to off-site facilities about half an hour away from the main location, where the courts are very different from those at the stadium.
