Billie Jean King says that the governing body of women’s tennis must ensure that any potential move to Saudi Arabia includes a commitment to improve equality as she takes a swipe at the ATP.
The Middle Eastern nation had put in an offer to hold the WTA Finals this year but the tournament was eventually allocated to Cancun in Mexico. Some have voiced concerns about holding the event there due to allegations of the government using sport to improve its reputation which has been marred by allegations of human rights violations. Ubitennis has been told that Saudi Arabia is likely to hold the end-of-season tournament from 2024 under a three-year deal.
Meanwhile, the ATP Tour recently confirmed that their Next Gen Finals will be moving to the country. The tournament features the eight highest-ranked players under the age of 21 and there has been talk about the possibility of creating a women’s draw as early as next year.
“I’m glad we’re not going to Saudi Arabia right now, because Saudi Arabia, for women, is really difficult,” King said during the US Open’s Champions of Equality event on Thursday.
“For some reason the men, they want the money, they think like that. I’m like, Whoa.”
King, who has won 39 Grand Slam titles in singles and doubles during her career, says her ‘understanding’ is that a lot of people in Saudi Arabia want change but she says there must be a commitment in place before the WTA ventures into the region.
“I believe 70% of Saudi Arabia is under 30 years old. My understanding is they want change, the young people. Somehow I think for us to go, we probably need some guarantees of change or we shouldn’t go,” she said.
“I would personally like to help the people there, particularly women.’
“I think there’s a yearning in the hearts and minds of the people for change. If we could be an influencer in that to be more positive, then I think we should go for it. But if we cannot, then I think we have to sit down and seriously talk about it.”
Saudi Arabia has previously been criticized for denying women their rights but improvements have been made in recent years with the introduction of the Personal Status Law (PSL). However, Human Rights groups argue that more improvements need to take place. The head of the country’s tennis federation is a woman called Arij Mutabagani.
“For me, girls are extremely important. It’s important for them to start participating in events outside Saudi Arabia, at any level,” Mutabagani recently told The National News.
“In October we’re sending a women’s team for the first time to the Billie Jean King Cup; just like we did with the Junior Billie Jean King Cup, we have to start somewhere and show there is a presence.
“Step by step, we’ll develop that. I really feel the girls were not given their fair share and if we can achieve something for the girls and make them feel like they can take part, this for me is a goal.”
In July an investigation by The Guardian estimated that Saudi Arabia has spent more than $6bn in sports deals since early 2021.
