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Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim recently lauded Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for their courage in preventing the WTA Finals from taking place in Saudi Arabia in 2023.
Saudi Arabia has been an active investor in sports for quite a while now. They have expanded their footprint in F1, football, golf, cricket, and more recently, tennis.
According to a recent WTA statement, Saudi Arabia has secured the staging rights of the WTA Finals for three years. This comes amid intense opposition from two legendary players - Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. They have expressed their staunch disapproval of giving Saudi Arabia the hosting rights of WTA's 'Crown Jewel'.
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In light of the WTA Finals finding a 3-year base in Saudi Arabia, Jon Wertheim lauded the former players' efforts in dissuading the WTA from hosting the 2023 WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia. According to him, the WTA Final would have been hosted in Saudi Arabia if not for the efforts of Evert and Navratilova.
"Let the record reflect: this would have happened in 2023 but for the moral courage of @ChrissieEvert+ @Martina."
Recently, the ATP Tour also announced a multi-year partnership with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). Saudi Arabia had reportedly penned a deal with the ATP tour to host the Next Gen ATP Finals from 2023 to 2027.
The country is also set to host a high-profile exhibition titled "The Six King Slam" featuring Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, and Holger Rune. The Saudi Arabian-PIF further invested in tennis by appointing Rafael Nadal as the ambassador of the Saudi Tennis Federation.
Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova penned a letter to oppose Saudi Arabia hosting WTA Finals
Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post in January 2024 and detailed their concerns about holding the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia. Navratilova and Evert mentioned that WTA's values don't align with the values of the country.
The pair shed light on the archaic laws that are prevalent in the country to this day. They also drew attention to 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 legends concluded by offering advice to the WTA:
"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."
