There is an immoral offer
Saudi Arabia wants to take over the tennis world
March 13, 2024, 11:45 a.m
The tennis world has 90 days to accept an immoral offer from Saudi Arabia. The desert state wants to gain control of the major tours. There is also a gigantic offer on the table. It would be the Saudis’ next big deal.
Saudi Arabia apparently wants to gain control of the tennis tours with an offer of two billion US dollars. This is reported by the British “Telegraph”. Accordingly, the desert state submitted an offer through its state fund PIF to combine the ATP and WTA tournaments in one deal. The four Grand Slams should not be affected by the agreement.
According to the report, ATP boss Andrea Gaudenzi told organizers of the Masters tournaments in Indian Wells that the PIF had made a “time-limited” offer that “will expire if not accepted within the next 90 days.” According to the Telegraph, the WTA said in a statement that it was reviewing the offer: “There is still no consensus within the sport about a preferred outcome.”
It was only at the end of February that the ATP announced a “multi-year strategic partnership” with the kingdom, saying that the cooperation should represent “an important joint commitment to promote global tennis.” The PIF will become an official partner of the ATP rankings as well as the ATP tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing, the season-end ATP Finals in Turin and the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah.
Tournament with five Grand Slam winners
Saudi Arabia had already intensified its efforts in tennis and, among other things, hired 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal as an ambassador. For the first time, the desert state is hosting a top-class show tournament with a total of five Grand Slam winners in October, right in the middle of the ATP season. In addition to Nadal, major record champion Novak Djokovic, Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner, Melbourne finalist Daniil Medvedev and Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz will be there. To the displeasure of Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley, the PIF is aiming to host a Masters tournament in the first week of the season – the United Cup in Australia currently occupies this place in the tour calendar.
“I have never seen the PIF interest as a negative. I have always seen it as a positive. But as a sport we should not do something that negatively affects a long-standing partner in sport,” Craig Tiley emphasized in January. The season opener is traditionally held Down Under in preparation for the Australian Open. “The discussion we want to have is: Where is the opportunity for everyone where we can all coexist,” Tiley said. But existing side by side is not enough for the Saudis. The desert state, which is highly controversial because of its devastating human rights situation, has been investing in sport for years.
Gentle giant on the Persian Gulf?
Saudi Arabia has long been the leading sports laundry company in the world. The kingdom, ruled absolutistically by the Al Saud ruling family, is conducting an unprecedented “charm offensive” to portray itself as a gentle giant in the Persian Gulf. Soft power thanks to sports megastars and high-class events is the strategy that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has commissioned his “Entertainment” Minister Turki Al-Sheikh with. The means to an end is the bulging Saudi sovereign wealth fund, which is being tapped so that top-class sport can take place between Riyadh and Jeddah in the future.
Football greats like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar have already answered the call of the desert, as have golf stars like John Rahm. In the prize fight, Saudi Arabia is preparing to replace Las Vegas as the epicenter of heavyweight boxing.