Discourse continues surrounding the potential move to play tournaments including the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia, with Chris Evert alongside Martina Navratilova among the main critics of the potential of this despite laws on women and LGBTQ+ in particular against homosexuality.
Evert has called on players to take a closer look at the culture, those laws, and the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia before taking the money that it will likely bring.
The players need to take a very close and serious look at the culture, the laws, and the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia before they make an educated and moral decision on whether to play over there…
Discuss: What does it say about tennis that it falls to former players to set the political agenda?
Reports have swirled surrounding not only the WTA Finals, but the country who have delved into most sports by now having their foothold through a breakaway tour. As well as wanting a Masters 1000 tournament for instance.
This has led to some reports that tournaments such as Miami could be on the chopping block, but also that there is a want for it in the week after Christmas meaning the United Cup could be under threat. Currently the Middle East is well known for hosting exhibitions around this time including Carlos Alcaraz v Novak Djokovic on Boxing Day this year.
But this has not diminished the anguish among those involved in the sport, no least Evert. "The players need to take a very close and serious look at the culture, the laws, and the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia before they make an educated and moral decision on whether to play over there," Evert said on X (formerly Twitter).
This after Martina Navratilova shared her similar worry especially for gay women and also the idea of selling their soul for money.
"I absolutely would worry. I would worry for them as women. I would worry for them as gay women. People live in fear that live there. It’s just too risky & still too dangerous. You sell your soul for money because it’s convenient, financially," she told BBC Sport.
