‘What the hell?’: WTA Trophy presentation is absolute disgrace

The tennis world is ablaze with rage after it witnessed “the worst trophy presentation ever seen” with two stars shown no respect.

Tennis commentators have reacted with rage after witnessing the Italian Open trophy presentation ceremony descend into an absolute farce on Sunday morning.

Elena Rybakina captured her second WTA 1000 title of 2023 at Foro Italico when Ukrainian opponent Anhelina Kalinina retired with a thigh injury which she had been carrying all week.

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The final was blighted with drama with a rain delay forcing the match to begin at 11pm local time.

The contest was stopped with the reigning Wimbledon champion leading 6-4 1-0 when Kalinina called it quits shortly after midnight.

The final itself has since been overshadowed by a trophy presentation ceremony that went off the rails.

Tournament organisers appeared to mix up the two players and called Rybakina to receive her trophy before the runner-up.

Anhelina Kalinina and Elena Rybakina had no idea what was going on. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images.

Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina and Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina. Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP.

Kalinina also had to walk to pick up her own trophy after an awkward silence where nobody came forward to present it.

Tennis fans and commentators around the globe have labelled the scenes disrespectful with the presentation taking place in front of an almost empty stadium in the early hours of the morning.

Rybakina clearly didn’t know what was going on and it was clear tournament organisers favoured the speeches made by tournament officials and sponsors.

The chair umpire was also given time at the microphone ahead of the players.

Aussie tennis great Rennae Stubbs could not believe her eyes.

“Officially the worst trophy presentation I have ever seen, In my life,” she wrote on Twitter.

“Honesty I need to take a Xanax after these last three weeks! What the hell is happening!???”

The few fans left in the stadium were heard booing as the presentation took place with many suggesting the boos were directed at the tournament officials for allowing such a calamitous final to play out the way it did.

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and her team pose with the Internazionali BNL D'Italia Women's Singles trophy. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images.

She went on to write: “At some point someone has to take responsibility for the absolute travesties that have been happening.”

It comes after the Madrid Open was forced to apologise after not allowing the women’s doubles finalists to make speeches.

Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia beat Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff in the women’s final were not given a microphone to let them address the crowd during the trophy presentations.

Rybakina, 23, became the first woman to capture two WTA 1000 titles this season, having already won the prestigious Indian Wells hard court tournament in March.

She was also runner-up at the Australian Open and in Miami and now she is eyeing up the French Open.

With AFP

Originally published as ‘What the hell?’: WTA Trophy presentation is absolute disgrace