"It's going to happen eventually because money talks": Jessica Pegula sees Saudi Arabia tennis takeover as 'inevitible'

Jessica Pegula expressed her opinion that the introduction of tennis to Saudi Arabia is inevitable due to the country's financial capacity to make substantial investments in the sport. Discussions between the Arabian nation and the ATP and WTA could potentially lead to the establishment of a Masters 1000 event in early 2025, just before the Australian Open.

The successful organization of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Saudi Arabia has proven economically beneficial for all parties involved, sparking mutual interest in hosting additional tournaments throughout the year. Nevertheless, criticisms have arisen regarding the norms and culture of countries with restrictions on women and individuals based on their sexual orientation.

Despite varying opinions among different tennis players and members of the ATP and WTA, world No. 5 Jessica Pegula believes that the significant investment makes the arrival of the Tour in Saudi Arabia only a matter of time, stating, “I think it's inevitable, to be honest. Yeah, there has been a lot of talk. I feel like there has been for the past year or so.”

“I feel like it's going to happen eventually, because money talks, and they have infinite amounts of money and they seem to be involved in every single sport in the world except for ours, so I'm sure ours is coming. Yeah, I don't know exactly when, but...” she added.

The American tennis player is currently in Perth, Australia, competing in the United Cup for her country. Pegula is the top singles player and leads the team alongside world No. 10 Taylor Fritz. Together, they clinched the title in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2023.

The United States shares the group with Australia and Great Britain, with the latter already making their debut (a 2-1 triumph for the Europeans). On December 31st, the British and American teams will face off for the third day of competition.

Pegula will be the first to play, taking on Katie Boulter, who displayed an impressive performance against Ajla Toljanovic in the opening day. Following that, Fritz will attempt to halt Cameron Norrie, who is coming off a victory over Alex de Minaur. In the mixed doubles, Pegula and Fritz are likely to form the pair to face Boulter and Neal Skupski.