Former world No.1 Andy Roddick made his feelings public about the WTA's hidden rule that has got the tennis world talking, referring to it as an "act of idiocy".
America's Madison Keys couldn't have started her 2025 season much better after claiming the Adelaide International and Australian Open, with the latter event cementing her first major trophy.
Her 12-match win streak propelled her to a career-high world No.6 in the rankings.
However, the 29-year-old is now ineligible to enter the ATX Open in Texas due to an odd rule involving only one player inside the top-10 allowed to compete, with that player being fellow American Jessica Pegula.
"We love Madison and have been anticipating for months the excitement of her playing here in Austin for the first time," Tournament Director Christo van Rensburg said. "While we wish the top-10 rule didn’t apply to our tournament, we respect the rules of the WTA."
Roddick, notorious for voicing how he feels, heavily criticised the ruling
"Until you make an independent deal with a tournament and then you fly under our rules," he told tennis journalist Jon Wertheim on his 'Served with Roddick' podcast. "It’s so two-handed, and I am sure there is a technical piece where they are going to be fine.
"How is he ever again going to do a deal with someone who is top-30 in the world? Just to get screwed over if it doesn’t work. You are literally weakening the toughest professional tournament business, even more, you are diluting it.
"How are we going to support the smaller markets? It is an act of idiocy that we are having this conversation and that a tournament is four weeks from now, what do you do? Tennis is going to tennis. It’s so dumb and short-sighted. Always."
Keys was due to feature in Doha's Qatar Open, but she withdrew after a hamstring complaint, meaning her next tournament will likely be the Dubai Tennis Championships later this month.
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