Saudi Arabia deal for WTA Finals still on the cards despite merger rumours
WTAWednesday, 06 September 2023 at 09:00
Saudi Arabia’s deal for WTA Finals is still on the cards
despite failing to find an agreement for this year’s competition.
The Finals is the last major event of the WTA calendar year
and is scheduled to take place in October.
The tournament was set to be organised in Japan this year
but rumours suggested that the event might be shifted to Saudia Arabia.
However, as per the latest report, the competition will not
take place this year in the Middle Eastern country.
Despite that development, negotiations between the Saudi sports
authorities and WTA representatives continued which is likely to see the
competition taking place in the Middle Eastern country for some years to come.
The report quoted a source which suggested that there is a '99
percent' chance that Saudi Arabia will become the new home for the WTA Finals
for the four years starting from 2024.
The step is seen by many as Saudi Arabia’s first major move
towards investing in tennis.
The oil-rich country has become very active in investing in different
sporting activities in the recent past.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) invested heavily in golf which
led to the merger of the PGA Tour and Liv Golf in June earlier this year.
The PIF also bought the English Premier League football club
Newcastle United. The state-backed sovereign fund also strengthened the
football clubs in the country to participate in the Saudi Pro League.
All the clubs went on to sign big-name players from
different European leagues including the likes of Portuguese legendary striker
Cristian Ronaldo.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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