WTA Tour News

The WTA Tour is hoping to shorten its season, reduce the number of tournaments that players must play and give the top women more of a break after Grand Slam events. The tour is hoping to implement the changes for the 2009 season, the WTA said Tuesday. The changes, which the WTA board is expected to approve in March, would also include trying to get top players to face each ...

Amelie Mauresmo plans to defend her title at the season-ending WTA Championship next month despite being bothered by a sore right shoulder. Mauresmo, who can finish the year as the top-ranked player if she wins in Madrid, withdrew from the Zurich Open last week because of the injury. ``I'm better, but I'll start playing at the end of this weekend,'' Mauresmo said Tuesday. ``Next week I'll be able to practise ...

The WTA and ATP tennis tours want to have four major mixed tournaments beside the Grand Slams from 2009, the head of the women's tour said on Wednesday. For now, both tours come together at six stops outside the Grand Slams _ Sydney, Memphis, Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, New Haven, Tokyo _ but the tours want to showcase their talent better. ``The four Grand Slams are the pillars of tennis. But after that I think there's room ...

Fans, sponsors and TV executives sensed it, and now the WTA Tour has put it in black and white: Top women's tennis players pulled out of events at a record rate this season. In an effort to address the issue, tour CEO Larry Scott called Friday for rules changes in 2007 that would double fines for withdrawals and reduce the number of events players must enter. ``The women's game has ...