"Sport is an increasingly soulless place nowadays" - Tennis fans react to news of Saudi Arabia's potential investment in ATP Tour

The news of Saudi Arabia potentially investing in the ATP Tour hasn't gone down well with tennis fans.

With the help of their sovereign wealth fund, called the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia is looking to make a potential investment in tennis. ATP Tour chief Andrea Gaudenzi recently said that he held ‘positive’ discussions with PIF over the matter.

Saudi Arabia has already had some sway in tennis in recent years. The Diryadh Cup, an exhibition event, was held in December last year where five of the then world's top-10 ATP players (Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz, and Hubert Hurkacz) took part.

It has also been rumored that the country will host the prestigious 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals.

Through PIF, Saudi Arabia has made big inroads into the world of sports. They made a massive investment in golf, bought one of England's most prestigious clubs in Newcastle United, have brought soccer stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to play in their domestic league, and are eyeing a £16 billion move to secure Formula One rights.

Tennis fans were unhappy with the idea of Saudi Arabia's potential involvement in tennis, with one fan stating that sports are increasingly becoming soulless now.

"It's private equity in the WTA corner, the sovereign wealth fund of a dictatorship in the ATP corner. Sport is an increasingly soulless place nowadays," a fan said.

Another fan said that this is a part of Saudi Arabia's plan to take over the world.

"This was only a matter time. Sport then business and they will rule the world," a tweet read.

Here are some more fan reactions:

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Tennis probably the best candidate for a rival tour: Reports

A general view of the Centre Court at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

After the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf series reached an agreement to join the PGA Tour, there have been rumors that the country will turn its sights to another sport as they continue to expand its influence.

The PGA has set a strong precedent for tennis, according to Justin Gimelstob, a former pro tennis player who served on the ATP's board of directors.

“This seems like a tipping point moment. There will be an ability to rationalize partnering with Saudi Arabia moving forward, considering they have such significant resources and such an interest in sports,” he said. (via TheStreet)

According to a report by the New York Times, Saudi Arabia will turn their attention to tennis next as it is, like golf, an individual sport, which makes it easy to start a 'rival' tour.

The report cited the Diryadh Cup as an example of how they already managed to lure top tennis stars to the country.

"Tennis is probably the best candidate for a rival tour. Like golf, it’s an individual sport, which makes it easier for P.I.F. to lure athletes with big checks. And while there’s a smaller cohort of stars to recruit than in golf, a rival league would need only about a dozen players for an elite tour," the report said.

"Some tennis stars, including fifth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas, have already played in Saudi Arabia at the Diriyah tennis exhibition. The threat of Saudi competition is likely one reason the WTA raised money from the private equity firm CVC Capital this year," it added.