WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia? Tennis is next up in kingdom's sport spending spree

Saudi Arabia’s foray into sports was always destined to land on tennis at some point. But the actual depth of that involvement could become one of the big storylines during the first week of the US Open. 

The ATP has already announced this week that its so-called “Next Gen ATP Finals,” which includes the top eight players age 21 and under, will be played in Jeddah starting on Nov. 28. There’s also growing speculation that Saudi Arabia is making a strong push to host the season-ending WTA Finals, a big-money event for the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the season-long points race on the women’s tour.

Given the well-known human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, particularly when it comes to treatment of women and LGBT issues, the WTA planting its premiere event there would result in significant controversy within the sport. 

“I would prefer the WTA not to go to Saudi Arabia,” said Chris Evert, the 18-time Grand Slam champion and current ESPN commentator. “I would be against it. But I don’t have a vote.”

It’s a particularly sensitive issue for women’s tennis given that the WTA chose to boycott China late in 2021 until Peng Shuai’s allegations of sexual assault against a former government officials were investigated and her freedom could be confirmed.

Despite making no headway on that issue, the WTA reversed its stance earlier this year and will host several events in China this fall. 

But the location of the WTA Finals remains a mystery even though it is supposed to be held a mere two months from now. In a similar circumstance last year, the WTA reached an agreement to hold the event in Fort Worth, but the lack of marketing and a non-traditional location resulted in poor crowds. 

World No. 1 Iga Świątek said it was frustrating not to know where the season-ending event is going to be played, particularly because players were told last year that they’d announce the location for 2023 early in the season. 

“It’s annoying, but as players there’s nothing we can do because it’s all about business and the negotiations the WTA has,” Swiatek said. “Obviously we want to know because it’s hard to plan.” 

Most players in the mix for the WTA Finals did not want to comment specifically about Saudi Arabia as a potential location at Friday’s US Open media day until something is announced. 

Jessica Pegula, the top-ranked American woman and member of the WTA players’ council, said one of the unfortunate realities faced by their tour is they “don't have the luxury to say no to some things” given how important the WTA Finals are to the tour’s overall financial picture. 

But she stopped well short of endorsing the move.

“If you look at a pros and cons list, we'd obviously have to see there be a lot of pros overweighing the cons to feel comfortable going there, whether that's seeing them as a group maybe have to donate money to women's sports or women's rights in Saudi Arabia, to see some sort of change or action going towards helping those causes in their country,” Pegula said. “I think that would be something really important that, if we did end up going there, we would want to see.

“I think it's just going to have to be the right arrangement and we're going to have to know if we go there, okay, well, we want to be making a change, and you need to help us do that.”

This debate is occurring as the USTA celebrates 50 years of offering equal prize money to men and women, a move that was inspired by Billie Jean King threatening not to play the US Open the following year after winning it in 1972.

In public comments prior to Wimbledon this year, King endorsed some level of cooperation between tennis and the Saudis, whose investment in a variety of global sports like Formula 1 and golf has been characterized by many as “sportswashing" the country's human rights record. 

“I’m a huge believer in engagement," King said. "I don't think you really change unless you engage."

It’s no surprise that the Saudis are now targeting tennis, another sport with worldwide appeal and a traveling tour that would undoubtedly be open to putting events there for the right price. 

Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated reported that there are also WTA Finals bids from Washington, D.C., and Prague that will be discussed during a board meeting next week.

“To be honest, we don’t know much about it as players and now it’s just a rumor,” said Coco Gauff. "I don’t know what’s going to happen. I'd rather not speak on it until it’s set in stone.”

One player who endorsed Saudi Arabia as a potential location was Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, the first player from an Arab nation to make a Grand Slam final. 

“I know in Saudi they’re changing things and evolving,” Jabeur said. "I went last year to give a speech there and it was very nice meeting a lot of amazing women there. I think it’s a great step. It’s something that could help the Arab world to have more tennis players to get more involved in sports. If they play there and hopefully if I qualify it will be a great honor and opportunity to go play there.”