Game, Set, Match: After football, is Saudi Arabia prepping for a tennis takeover?

Who will win the ongoing US Open tournament being held at Flushing Meadows? That is perhaps the biggest question that tennis fans are asking the world over. However, there’s another storyline being built at Queens, where the best tennis players are fighting for glory, and surprisingly, it’s being written off the courts and in press conference rooms.

What are we talking about? Saudi Arabia is making a foray into the tennis world and perhaps trying to take over it, one tournament at a time.

Interestingly, the Kingdom has been pumping large amounts of money into various sports in recent times, in what experts say is an attempt to move from its oily pursuits and “wash” its image free of the taint of fossil fuels and meagre human rights.

We examine Saudi Arabia’s actual depth of involvement, how the tennis world is reacting and how this is a small step for the Kingdom’s move to dominate sports.

Saudi’s tennis push

On 24 August, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the world governing body for men’s tennis, announced that its “Next Gen ATP Finals,” which includes the top eight players age 21 and under, will be played in Jeddah starting on 28 November.

The ATP said that the tournament, moving from Milan in Italy, will take place over five days at the King Abdullah Sports City on indoor hard court from 28 November-2 December 2023, with a record $2 million (Rs 16.5 crore) prize money on offer and would be the home for the event for the next four years, until 2027.

ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said, “The ATP Tour is truly global and exploring new markets is central to growing the game. Bringing the Next Gen ATP Finals to Jeddah is our chance to inspire new fans, in a region with a vast young population, and unite audiences around tennis. Our congratulations go to Jeddah and the Saudi Tennis Federation. We look forward to building on the event’s incredible success together.”

This will be the first official professional tennis event to take place in Saudi Arabia, though the ATP has had a presence in the Middle East for more than 30 years. Until now, Saudi Arabia only had the Diriyah Tennis Cup – an exhibition tournament, which has seen the likes of former two-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka and former US Open champ Danil Medvedev competing.

World Number 1 and reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz (20), reacting to the news had said he had “no doubts” he would compete in Saudi Arabia at some point and added that the country has the power to hold plenty of tournaments, according to a Reuters report.

There’s also growing speculation that the season-ending WTA Finals, which sees the top eight singles players and doubles teams on the women’s tour competing, will be hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. However, the women’s tour spokesperson has said that no final decision has been taken on the matter.

The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association’s) season-ending tournament last year was held in Fort Worth, Texas and prior to that, it was held in Mexico’s Guadalajara.

Tennis pundits believe that hosting the women’s event in Saudi is bound to raise eyebrows as the Kingdom has a poor record when it comes to women’s rights.

Players – past and present – speak

However, Saudi’s investment in the sport, despite being substantial has divided the tennis world.

Britain’s Andy Murray, who is a three-time Grand Slam winner and Olympic medallist, had earlier said that he wouldn’t play in Saudi Arabia but added that he would think twice if tennis points were up for grabs.

Tennis greats Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova have also expressed their apprehensions about Saudi Arabia’s investment in the sport and moving the WTA Finals to the country. Speaking to sports journalist Jon Wertheim, Navratilova said that if she were playing on the WTA Tour right at the moment, she would not have travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Finals. “I can tell you 100 per cent if I were still playing, I would not be going (to Saudi Arabia) for the Championships.”

Chris Evert echoed her former rival and compatriot’s sentiment, saying that the WTA is about equality and has been a trailblazer in women’s empowerment. She urged the tennis body not to chase money but to do the right thing.

The WTA is about equality. We have been leaders and role models in women’s sports. We have made decisions the last 50 years with integrity and dignity. We have empowered women…Take less money and do the right thing…