Saudi Arabia “plans a major push into women’s tennis by bringing a WTA Tour event to the Gulf state” – as they look to expand their reach after the controversial launch of the LIV Golf Series, as well as profiles in F1 and soccer
- The WTA has reportedly refused to rule out a possible link with Saudi Arabia
- The Gulf state has come under fire for alleged human rights abuses
- China was recently criticized by the WTA for the treatment of tennis star Peng Shuai
Saudi Arabia is reportedly looking to continue its controversial push to expand its sporting reach while seeking a deal in women’s tennis.
The nation has invested heavily in the sport in recent years, with the highly controversial £2billion LIV golf series, as well as hosting Formula 1 grand prix and various football projects.
According to the Telegraph, the Women’s Tennis Association refused to rule out a possible connection with the state when contacted.
A spokesman for the WTA confirmed to the publication: “We have received inquiries from Saudi Arabia regarding interest in bringing a WTA event to the region.
“As a global organization, we are always interested and grateful for inquiries from around the world, and we seriously consider what each opportunity may bring [but] we have not entered into any formal negotiations.’
The Saudis have reportedly been looking for a deal with the men’s ATP Tour for the last five years, although they have been thrown back in their approaches and now appear to be changing tact.
However, the WTA does not have the same financial security as the men’s equivalent tour, especially after taking a strong moral stance towards China.
The WTA Tour declined to rule out a controversial connection with Saudi Arabia in the future
Chief Executive Steve Simon had spoken out against China after women’s tennis star Peng Shuai’s apparent silence last year, but the admirable principles have hampered access to a key source of funding for the organization.
Saudi Arabia has also tried in the past to offer star players staggering sums of money for exhibition matches.
Former Brit and world No. 1 Andy Murray was one of many top players to turn down an offer and turn down £1.5million to play in the country over human rights concerns in the Gulf state.
The WTA has previously taken strong moral stances on nation states and criticized China for the alleged silence of tennis star Peng Shuai (pictured).
Saudi Arabia has been criticized by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch for trying to boost its nation’s reputation by hosting global sporting events, a practice known as “sports laundering”.
Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia, women’s rights are also lagging behind, while journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who had frequently criticized the state’s royal family, was brutally murdered at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul in 2018.
Murray has long been an advocate for gay and women’s rights and his representative Matt Gentry said the Scot had no interest in playing in Saudi Arabia because of the country’s human rights record.
Andy Murray has previously turned down lucrative offers from the Saudi regime to gamble
“He turned things down in Saudi; I don’t think he’s going to play there just because of what happened,” Gentry told the podcast SportUnlocked back in January.
“If something is close to his heart, he will be happy to say it. He’s not afraid to speak his mind.
“They played a couple of exhibition games where they paid staggering amounts of money to get players there and he just wasn’t interested.
“If you show up and play a match, as a former world No. 1 player in the Middle East, you could potentially make $1 million to $2 million.
“It’s for the top players, the big global names, and I think golf is pretty similar.”