"Money can buy souls, this proves it" - Djokovic, Alcaraz & others come under fire for allegedly aiding sportswashing with Saudi Arabia exhibition

A two-day tennis exhibition event in Riyadh will see top players such as Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur participating in it, according to an announcement made on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia has been making inroads into the professional tennis scene lately. This new event, being organised by the country's General Entertainment Authority, will take place from December 26 to 27.

On December 26 Ons Jabeur will face Aryna Sabalenka, while Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will square off the next day. However, several tennis fans are upset with the top players taking part in this exhibition event in Saudi Arabia.

The ATP had announced earlier this year that the Next Gen ATP Finals, an annual men's tournament featuring the season's best players aged 21 and below, would be held in Saudi Arabia through 2027. Riyadh was also considered for hosting the 2023 WTA Finals before Cancun, Mexico was fixed as the venue.

The tennis community was divided on Saudi Arabia being considered for hosting tennis events and some of the sport's biggest names, such as Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe, had spoken out against it.

The recent increased involvement of Saudi Arabia in other sports, most notably golf and football, has led to accusations of "sportswashing" on the part of the international community.

Many tennis fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their displeasure with the decision of major players to participate in the exhibition event in Riyadh. One fan threw shade at players for allegedly showing double standards and said:

"Tennis suicide" is symbolised by the hypocrisy of players who complain all year that the schedule is too hard for the players and that ATP/WTA have to find solutions. Then Saudis make a phone call…”

Another tennis enthusiast wondered why the players bothered to show up, given their packed schedules on the tour:

“But the tennis season is too long they all say. I wonder why they're playing this event?”

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

Carlos Alcaraz skips Swiss Indoors Basel 2023

China Tennis Shanghai Masters

Carlos Alcaraz announced on social media that he has withdrawn from next week's Swiss Indoors in Basel due to injury concerns. In 2022 he made his debut in Basel, winning three matches before losing in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Felix Auger-Aliassime.

"Unfortunately I will not be able to play in Basel this year! I have a problem with the plantar fascia in my left foot and muscle fatigue in my lower back which need treatment so I can play the rest of the season. I hope to see you all soon! @swissindoorsbasel_official," he said in a post on Instagram.