"Are you kidding me? Because they treat women so well?": John McEnroe lauds potential WTA Finals Saudi move as 'laughable'
WTA
John McEnroe has lauded a potential WTA Finals move to Saudi Arabia as 'laughable' as rumours continue to swirl about the destination of the year-end tournament which took place in Cancun during 2023 amid chaos with the organisation in Mexico.
McEnroe believes that Saudi Arabia involvement in tennis is inevitable and thinks it will happen, but in particular, lambasted the potential of the WTA Finals moving to the country due to the laws surrounding women in the country. But in his opinion, the organisations cannot be criticised for doing something everyone else is doing.
"It wouldn’t shock me, let’s put it this way, because it’s the old money talks," McEnroe told ESPN. "Oh no, I wouldn’t do that. Wait how much was I offered? On second thought maybe I’ll do that.
"Personally, I disagree with it completely in golf and tennis. I mean the ladies are going to play the WTA Finals there? Are you kidding me? Because they treat women so well?
"So that part, to me, is laughable. But at the same time what is also laughable is that people can criticize tennis players or golfers for doing something that virtually every business and the government do which is deal with Saudi Arabia.
"Billie Jean King endorsed it. So I have so much respect for Billie Jean maybe I have to think about it," McEnroe continued. "Maybe I’m the idiot."
Also rumoured is the country buying the Masters 1000 tournaments in Madrid and Miami with discussions of moving them to the first week of the season and as a result ending any sort of off season.
"So this idea that tennis players have to set the moral standard or golfers for that matter when they’re all making the money. It’s a total joke as far as I’m concerned. But we’ll see what happens. I’d be surprised if the Saudis don’t buy those tournaments, actually. Not that they will. I’ll be surprised if they don’t have them."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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