The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has announced that the women’s finals are being awarded to Saudi Arabia for the next three years.
In Saudi Arabia, the male guardianship system denies women basic human rights, grants immunity from criminal prosecution to perpetrators of so-called “honour crimes”, fails to criminalise marital rape, and criminalises consensual sex between adult men and sex outside of marriage.
Manahel al-Otaibi, a 29-year-old fitness instructor and women’s rights activist, is serving 11 years in prison for terrorism — wearing “indecent clothes” and supporting women’s rights.
Chrissie Evert and Martina Navratilova wrote an open letter to object: “We did not help build women’s tennis for it to be exploited by Saudi Arabia”.
Why Saudi, then? At the Australian Open in January, Rafael Nadal announced that he would serve as an “ambassador” for the Saudi Tennis Federation. In February, the men’s Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the country’s $750 billion sovereign wealth fund, announced a “multi-year strategic partnership.”
Saudi Arabia uses its Public Investment Fund (PIF) to buy into many sports. Premier League’s Newcastle United soccer team and to make deals to host events including the FIFA men’s 2034 FIFA World Cup. In 2022 it was part of a consortium buying Newcastle United. Manager Eddie Howe replied to press questions about the execution of 81 men by the Saudi state replying:
“I’m going to stick to talking football, that’s all I’m concerned with”.
Sports federations again and again have proven petro-dollars mean more than their paper policies on equality.
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