"It's just a matter of when, not if": Martina Navratilova say Saudi Arabia takeover of tennis isn't acceptable but inevitable
WTAMonday, 04 December 2023 at 16:11
Martina Navratilova has long been a huge critic of the Saudi Arabia move plotted both by the ATP and WTA with Finals and Masters tournaments mooted to be moving to the haven of money albeit a country that has not the best reputation for human rights and also LGBTQ+ laws.
As well as strict laws on women with the double standard as a result of the WTA Finals in particular seemingly set to move there. But Navratilova while not liking it admits it is only a matter of time until they dominate the sport.
"It's when not if" - Navratilova
She spoke about the issue during a recent episode of On With Kara Swisher and that the line can't be drawn anywhere if the money keeps flooding into the sport albeit in her mind this being unacceptable as a practice.
"The money is enormous. I mean, Aramco (a state-owned petroleum and natural gas company in Saudi Arabia) posted like $34 billion profit in one quarter. So, it's hard to fight that kind of money. You know, I've spoken against sport washing, how countries are just buying these sporting events."
"Where do you draw the line? I don't know, but I do know that Saudi Arabia at the moment is not acceptable. I think it's, it's inevitable that the [Saudi] money will buy everybody eventually. It's just a matter of when, not if," she added.
But also she raised a point of danger which she previously (above) discussed about how women can't divorce men and that homosexuality is still illegal which she said means she would never go over there if they do shift their tournaments to the country.
"Don't give them the tournament until they prove that they are making changes. Women still cannot divorce a man in Saudi. Men can just say, 'I divorce you,' and they're done. And a woman has to come in front of a panel. The inequity there is very glaring, nevermind the horrible homosexual laws that still exist."
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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