Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova pen scathing open letter urging WTA to stay out of Saudi Arabia: "Women are not seen as equal, criminalizes LGBTQ"

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova have said they can't sit back amid the potential of the WTA FInals and other tournaments being hosted in the near future in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Despite no announcement as of yet, it seems a foregone conclusion that the WTA Finals will head to Riyadh this year despite doubts on their human rights records, laws against women and in particular the LGBTQ+ community which is criminalised. The duo called a potential move there a 'significant step backwards'.

The close friends who are two of the greatest tennis players of all time wrote to Steve Simon, other board members, and the Player and Tournament Councils to at the very least engage in a transparent discussion before finalising the decision. This has come after on the last day, Rafael Nadal was confirmed as a new ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation which WTA World Number One, Iga Swiatek had doubts over in her case due to the unease felt by women in those areas but many have seen the move as 'inevitable' while Evert and Navratilova aim to make a stand.

"The WTA was founded on fairness and equality to empower women in a male dominated world. In short, the WTA should represent values which sit in stark contrast to those of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Not only is this a country where women are not seen as equal, it is a country which criminalises the LGBTQ community," the duo wrote as per Sports Illustrated.

"A country whose long term record on human rights and basic freedoms has been a matter of international concern for decades. Taking the WTA finals to Saudi Arabia would represent taking a significant step backwards, to the detriment of the WTA, women’s sports and women. We ask the WTA to give thought to all these considerations," they added.