The WTA recently announced that Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, will host the WTA Finals from 2024 to 2026. This invited mixed reactions from the tennis fraternity as they raised concerns over the security of female athletes in a place where laws for girls and women are extremely strict.
Former British WTA player Laura Robson, who now works as a tennis expert for Sky Sports, criticized the WTA for not consulting the players before making any decision about scheduling. She questioned why the organizers didn’t involve the players while making some important decisions.
It feels to me that consulting players on these things gets lost, and they’re the last ones to find out what’s going on. The players are the last ones to find out what’s changing with the calendars. Yes, there’s an ATP and WTA players council, but do they feel like they’re part of the decision-making process? No, not really. Laura Robson said
Saudi Arabia’s investment increased the prize money for the WTA Finals to a record $15.25 million. The event will be on November 2nd, with the final taking place on November 9. The top eight singles and doubles players will fly to the Saudi capital for the coveted trophy.
Laura Robson expresses concerns over the safety of female players in Saudi Arabia
Laura Robson further pointed out that Saudi Arabia hosts many sporting events for men, but the WTA Finals is going to be the biggest female sporting event. She expressed her fear of the possibility of rude crowd behavior and an unsafe atmosphere.
You'd want there to be a decent crowd and a good atmosphere, but whether that's actually possible, I don't know. Laura Robson said
Robson observed how Saudi Arabia is trying to get into all the sports. She wondered if there would be a Masters 1000 event in the kingdom in the future as well, though, for now, it looks tough to fit another event into the WTA schedule.
Tennis greats like Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova are against the idea of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in tennis. Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, however, is anticipating the change WTA can bring to the Middle Eastern country.
Saudi Arabia is not new to tennis. It hosted its first tournament last year in November. The Next Gen ATP Finals took place in Jeddah. Some exhibition matches were also played there.
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