Second day of the WTA Finals drew an embarrassingly tiny crowd of around 400 spectators, reopening the debate about the decision to bring elite tennis to Riyadh ✍️& 📹@simonrbriggs telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2024/11… #TelegraphSport
Gauff, Swiatek play amidst a sea of empty seats at WTA Finals Riyadh despite £6.66 price tag
WTATuesday, 05 November 2024 at 11:30
The WTA Finals in Riyadh were brought on with much acclaim due to the financial element despite the undercurrent of doubts surrounding human rights especially women but it is the crowd which has garnered headlines.
Tennis is not the first sport to accept vast riches from the Middle East and it is not only the sport which has suffered with garnering interest from people in Riyadh with boxing also not garnering an atmosphere or much ticket sales.
On Sunday which is a working day in the country, just 400 fans turned up as Gauff and Swiatek saw Jessica Pegula and Barbora Krejcikova respectively. But delving into it further, The Athletic confirmed that tickets were only £6.66 in an effort to get people in.
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But despite that, it didn't have the desired effect with half empty stands and seeing only 400 people in the stands isn't exactly wanted by either the WTA or the players to showcase an end of season product. Also what made matters perhaps worse was WTA admitting themselves that they didn't expect crowds early on for what is their season ender and are only expecting them on finals weekend.
They confirmed in a statement that the reasoning surrounded being a new endeavour and the first time that the WTA has held an event in Saudi Arabia.
“It’s important to remember that this is the first time a WTA event has been held in Saudi Arabia, so we’re bringing tennis to a new audience and that takes time to build,” the WTA said in a statement.
But a British tennis icon had a different tact saying it was disappointing and an embarrassment for the top names of the sport to have to deal with it.
“Just look at this WTA Finals as an event, it’s extremely disappointing when you’ve got the world’s best players – Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff – performing in front of a crowd like that today,” Tim Henman said to Sky Sports.
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