John McEnroe has spoken out against hosting ATP and WTA tournaments in Saudi Arabia following news of some events moving to the country.
Tennis star McEnroe has been vocal about his opposition to moving events to Saudi Arabia in the past. He has now reiterated this sentiment following the announcement that the ATP Next Gen Finals will take place in Jeddah, a Saudi Arabian port city, until 2028.
At the same time, Sports Illustrated reported that the WTA Finals could move to Riyadh, the country's capital city. These developments are happening amid a lot of backlash from fans, many of whom have pointed out Saudi Arabia's poor human rights record as a reason not to host events there.
Speaking at an ESPN event, McEnroe voiced his opposition to the ATP and WTA's involvement with Saudi Arabia.
"I wouldn’t do it. I don’t think our sport needs it. I don’t think it would benefit from it, and I don’t think we should do it, personally," he said. The American then echoed Chris Evert, who also said she was against the move but that it wasn't up to her.
"But as [Evert] said, it’s not up to us. Someone else is going to make that [decision]. They’re talking about the Next Gen Finals going there, 21 and under. This is just something that I don’t understand why we’re going in that direction," he added.
However, the 64-year-old also stressed that he didn't think athletes should be blamed for going to Saudi Arabia, as many people, including the American government, do business with the country.
"This is something that’s being bandied about obviously since golf did this, but a lot of the people … are hypocrites that sit around and say that golf or tennis shouldn’t go there while tons of businesses and tons of these people that you know about - including our government and many, many others - go there and do business, but all of a sudden it’s outrageous that sports athletes do it," he said.
Saudi Arabia has been criticized for its treatment of women, who have only been permitted to drive in the country since 2018. According to World Report 2023, "authorities continue to implement a male guardianship system requiring women to obtain male guardian permission to get married, leave prison, or obtain some forms of sexual and reproductive healthcare."
Homosexual activity is also illegal in the country, with the maximum punishment being the death penalty.
Moreover, it was recently revealed that at least hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers trying to cross the Yemen-Saudi border were killed by Saudi border guards between March 2022 and June 2023.
John McEnroe on tennis talking with Saudi Arabia: “I don’t know why the hell tennis would be like ‘let’s talk to the Saudis’ after the debacle you’re watching in golf. To me, it’s comical that it’s even being brought up right now. I don’t think it’s something we should pursue.”
