Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert continue rallying cry for WTA Finals Saudi Arabia snub as step backward: "Not just of women's sport, but women"

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert criticized the possibility of Saudi Arabia hosting the WTA Finals. The legends of the women's tour, who dominated during the 1970s and 1980s with 18 Grand Slam titles each in singles, have been activists for the rights of female tennis players and gender equality since their retirement. Both are among the most respected voices among tennis legends.

The WTA had already considered hosting the Finals in Saudi Arabia in 2023, but the tournament was ultimately organized in Cancun, Mexico, a decision made just two months before the event.

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Speculation over the past year suggests Saudi Arabia's intention to host more tournaments, both from the ATP and WTA, has raised concerns, especially among female tennis players, given the country's human rights situation, particularly concerning women and the LGBTQ+ community.

In a Washington Post op-ed, Evert and Navratilova strongly expressed their disagreement with the WTA bringing its tournaments to Saudi Arabia: "Taking a tournament there would represent a significant step backward, to the detriment not just of women's sport, but women," Navratilova and Evert stated.

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“We fully appreciate the importance of respecting diverse cultures and religions. It is because of this, and not despite it, that we oppose the awarding of the tour’s crown jewel tournament to Riyadh. The WTA’s values sit in stark contrast to those of the proposed host.”

“Not only is this a country where women are not seen as equal, it is a country where the current landscape includes a male guardianship law that essentially makes women the property of men. A country which criminalizes the LGBTQ community to the point of possible death sentences. A country whose long-term record on human rights and basic freedoms has been a matter of international concern for decades,” they added.

The WTA should revisit the values upon which it was established. We believe that those values cannot even be expressed, much less achieved, in Saudi Arabia. Taking a tournament there would represent a significant step backward, to the detriment not just of women’s sport, but women. We hope this changes someday, hopefully within the next five years. If so, we would endorse engagement there.