Wait, I'm honestly not sure what point you are trying to make? Are you implying they should be 250's and not 500's? Because, if anything, the extra points and money of a 500 should be incentive for more top players to enter the tournament and stay in the draw. So what is the problem?
If anything, I think it's silly because the week before a slam is often strange, and so giving out so many points in depleted events feels a little cheap. Like some random player could get a significant rankings boost (Harriet Dart, for example), just by hanging around and getting lucky in a pre-slam event. Not great.
But, as Bill said, it's good to let non-top players have a chance at solid prize money. I see no issue with that, and obviously there are enough venues that want to hold grass court events that the calendar is packed. Top players being divas isn't particularly new in this day and age, where those at the very top make so much more money than those below them.
Who is your girl? I forgot.
That is VERY Sloane Stephens. Sometimes she just completely checks out, to the point of embarrassment. Last year she played Giorgi in the semifinals of some small event in Mexico (a Sunshine Double warm up), and it was frankly ridiculous. I watched every ball, because it was Camila the Queen of tennis, but otherwise would have definitely turned it off. At one point Giorgi was openly laughing at Stephens, which is totally out of character for Giorgi (to show any emotion at all), but it was that pathetic.
