"I don't understand, this is just to get a nice little entry into tennis" - Andy Roddick on Saudi Arabia's PIF potentially buying ATP rankings

Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim recently unpacked the men's governing body potentially selling its Pepperstone ATP Rankings to the PIF, who have made various investments in sports.

Last August, the PIF bought the license to organize the Next Generation ATP Finals — an annual exhibition tournament that gives a platform to the best young players aged 20 and under — in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 2023 to 2027.

Saudi Arabia also appointed 22-time Major winner Rafael Nadal as its tennis federation's ambassador in January. Now, they have reportedly set their sights on acquiring the rights to the ATP Pepperstone Rankings, according to tennis journalist Jon Wertheim.

"Here’s some news: PIF/Saudi Sovereign Wealth fund is about to buy ranking system (godspeed, Pepperstone) for five years," Jon Wertheim wrote on X last week. "Watch for an announcement to launch at @bnpparisbasopen... you have to imagine what is next (with finals tie-in?)"

Against that background, former World No. 1 Andy Roddick invited Wertheim on his podcast to discuss the reason behind the PIF's vested interest in the men's rankings. The 2003 US Open winner was admittedly a bit perplexed at the PIF potentially angling for the ATP Tour's rankings system.

"I still don't understand, the rankings have no IP, this is basically just to, like, get a nice little entry into tennis, where you're all of a sudden partnering with the ATP, you're giving them some money, and that opens it up to larger conversations," Andy Roddick said (14:31). "That's basically what the deal is. We're buying access."

Wertheim, meanwhile, added that the licenses for big tournaments might also be sold to the PIF in the future.

"And there are events... Miami and Madrid, you hear about it, might just be for sale, instead of just going in to make an offer, maybe you warm your way in and got some signage and you got this business - rankings deal," Jon Wertheim said (14:50). "I think this is all a calculated strategy to get into tennis, we can argue whether this is a good thing or a bad thing but it's clearly very calculated."

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"So every time we say ATP rankings, we have to say ATP PIF rankings?" - Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick during a press conference

During the podcast, Andy Roddick also wondered whether fans will have to refer to the men's rankings as the "ATP PIF Rankings" if the move goes through.

"It's a set rankings system... so every time we say ATP rankings, we say ATP PIF rankings?" Andy Roddick joked (13:26).

Wertheim, meanwhile, accused Saudi Arabia of 'sportswashing' in light of their appointment of Rafael Nadal as their tennis federation's ambassador and their organizing of an elite exhibition tournament titled '6 Kings Slam'.

"You can't have a tour without a rankings system... this is how business is... a clinic in sportswashing," Wertheim said (13:41). "Nadal comes on as an ambassador, you're holding exhibitions, then you hold the Next Gen event, then you hold a big-boy event."

"And this is all sort of incremental, but yeah apparently, there will be a forthcoming announcement, maybe at Indian Wells, where we learn of this Saudi investment. This is gonna be a real story in tennis, men's and women's, in 2024. It involves essentially taking over the rankings, and other sponsorship elements," he added.