Saudi Arabia will host the WTA Finals for the next three editions, the Women’s Tennis Association said on Thursday, following widespread speculation and criticism from some of the game’s greats.
In just the latest high-profile Saudi sporting acquisition, the capital Riyadh will first hold the season finale featuring eight singles players and doubles teams from 2-9 November.
“Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will host the next three editions of the WTA Finals from 2024-2026,” the WTA posted on X, formerly Twitter, on its official account.
The widely anticipated deal comes just weeks after Saudi’s Public Investment Fund, a sovereign wealth vehicle, announced a “strategic partnership” with the Association of Tennis Professionals, which runs men’s tennis.
It also follows criticism from legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, who slammed the prospect of holding the WTA Finals in Saudi in a Washington Post opinion piece.
“We did not help build women’s tennis for it to be exploited by Saudi Arabia,” the players wrote in January, in a nod to the “sportswashing” allegations often levelled at Saudi owing to its human rights record.
“The WTA’s values sit in stark contrast to those of the proposed host,” they added.
The Saudi ambassador to Washington, Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud, accused Evert and Navratilova of repeating “outdated stereotypes”, while Tunisian player Ons Jabeur urged critics to be “more informed”
