why it matters: Saudi Arabia continues to expand its influence in the sports sector.
King and Simon’s comments are the strongest signal that Saudi Arabia is expanding and accelerating its efforts to participate not only in men’s tennis but also in women’s tennis, among other sports such as football, Formula 1 and golf. rice field. Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund LIV Golf Circuit recently agreed to merge with golf’s PGA Tour after a bitter standoff that saw lawsuits and the loss of some of the Tour’s biggest stars to emerging leagues.
Tennis executives, who are always looking for new investors to avoid that scenario, have openly said they are in ongoing talks with Saudi officials about hosting the tournament in Saudi Arabia as early as this year. rice field. Saudi Arabia is bidding to host the Next Generation Finals, a men’s event for players under the age of 21, scheduled for December. Saudi Arabia’s bid also includes an option to host a women’s next generation event in the country.
Simon, along with other WTA officials and players, traveled to Riyadh in February to meet with Saudi officials.
Background: Players have expressed concerns about their safety.
The issue is particularly complex for the women’s tennis tour. That’s partly because many players are openly gay, including Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, who is ranked 11th and travels a lot with her partner. No player on the men’s tour is openly gay.
WTA Tour Athletes’ Council member Sloane Stevens said it was important for LGBTQ athletes to feel safe when competing in Saudi Arabia.
“That’s part of the evaluation, too,” Stevens said. “We want everyone to feel safe, comfortable and supported.”
King, who is also openly gay, cited the WTA’s decision to play in Doha from 2008 as a precedent to help countries claiming to be more progressive. During a visit to Riyadh, Simon said some of the same changes Doha wanted 15 years ago, when there were concerns that women had “zero rights” and whether it was safe for players to wear shorts. said he noticed. Sleeveless tennis wear.
“This is a celebration of women’s advancement, a celebration of change happening,” Simon said. “I am not saying Saudi Arabia is where we should do business. They have a long way to go, but they are making a difference.”
what’s next: The schedule is undecided.
Simon said he had no plans to make a decision on the WTA’s trip to Saudi Arabia. However, the tour has yet to announce a location for its season-ending tour finals. Tour and the Chinese government are currently negotiating the future of the event. The WTA has been silenced after Peng Shuay allegedly accused her former government official of sexually assaulting her, and the tour has been unable to contact her, prompting her actions in China. was stopped for 18 months.
