Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim praised the bravery of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova in successfully preventing the WTA Finals from being held in Saudi Arabia in 2023.
Saudi Arabia has been a dedicated supporter of sports for a significant amount of time. They have increased their involvement in F1, football, golf, cricket, and most recently, tennis.
The WTA has announced that Saudi Arabia will be hosting the WTA Finals for the next three years, despite strong objections from two iconic players – Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. The decision to award the hosting rights of WTA’s ‘Crown Jewel’ to Saudi Arabia has faced intense opposition from the two legends.
Despite the WTA Finals securing a 3-year deal in Saudi Arabia, Jon Wertheim praised the former players for persuading the WTA to reconsider hosting the 2023 WTA Finals in that country. He believes that Evert and Navratilova’s efforts were crucial in preventing the WTA Finals from taking place in Saudi Arabia.
“Let the record reflect: this would have happened in 2023 but for the moral courage of @ChrissieEvert+ @Martina.”
The ATP Tour recently announced a long-term collaboration with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia. According to reports, Saudi Arabia has signed a contract with the ATP Tour to host the Next Gen ATP Finals for five consecutive years, from 2023 to 2027.
In addition, the nation will be the location for a prestigious event called “The Six King Slam,”which will showcase top players including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, and Holger Rune. The Saudi Arabian-PIF has also shown their commitment to the sport of tennis by naming Rafael Nadal as the ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation.
Tennis Legends Speak Out Against Saudi Arabia Hosting WTA Finals
In January 2024, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert expressed their concerns about hosting the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia in an opinion piece published in the Washington Post. The two tennis legends highlighted the misalignment between the country’s values and those of the WTA.
The duo brought attention to the archaic laws that continue to exist in the country, while also shedding light on Saudi Arabia’s human rights records.
“The WTA’s values sit in stark contrast to those of the proposed host. Not only is this a country where women are not seen as equal, it is a country where the current landscape includes a male guardianship law that essentially makes women the property of men. A country which criminalizes the LGBTQ community to the point of possible death sentences. A country whose long-term record on human rights and basic freedoms has been a matter of international concern for decades,”Navratilova and Evert wrote.
The WTA was given advice by the legends before concluding.
“The WTA must stand for human rights so long as inequality for women exists in the world. We offer this from our experiences: A champion is carved not just from trophies, or earnings, but from the decision to surrender comfort and luxury to make hard choices and take principled stands.”
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