The ATP has recently been in talks with Saudi Arabia for a $650 billion takeover. After securing a stronghold in football and golf, Saudi Arabia looks to enter the tennis world. They recently hosted the Diriyah Cup exhibition in December which featured some of the big names like Stan Wawrinka, Daniil Medvedev, and Dominic Thiem. The next year’s ATP next-gen finals are also likely to take place in Saudi.

As the middle-east nation inches closer to sealing the deal with tennis, some of the former legends have spoken against ATP for allowing the deal to go through. The legends in question include some of the finest players in the game’s history, like Chris Evert and John McEnroe.

John McEnroe and Chris Evert speak against the Saudi deal

McEnroe was entirely against the Saudi deal. According to Front Office Sports, he said, “I wouldn’t encourage it personally. I’m not surprised that tennis is being thrown into the mix after what we saw in golf. It’s comical that it’s even being brought up right now. Unfortunately, it’s like money talks, that’s all that matters. But I don’t think that’s all that matters. Eventually, you get bought out. It’s like, at some point, someone will offer too much.”

The seven-time major champion does not want the athletes to get lured by Saudi money. He hopes that the ATP makes the right call, but chances are looking bleak at the moment. Chris Evert seconded McEnroe and said, “I think it’s sports washing. I don’t think we need to go there.”

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Athletes and the authorities do tend to get attracted by the money on offer. Former players only have a little say here as they cannot overturn the decision. The concept of ‘easier said than done’ does not quite apply here as McEnroe himself had turned down the most lucrative offer of his career as he stood by his principles.

When McEnroe turned down a million-dollar offer

Back in 1980, McEnroe received a million-dollar offer to play an exhibition in South Africa. The sum would be as valuable as 10 million, if not more, today. However, the American turned down the offer as he firmly stood against the apartheid regime in South Africa.

He could see the bigger picture where the government would use him as a pawn and carry on with sports washing. As a Nelson Mandela admirer, McEnroe was never going to accept that offer.

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