Despite the undeniable popularity of tennis, there is one glaring issue that has just come to light. There is a severe dearth of tournaments in many regions of the world. Saudi Arabia, one of the richest countries in the world, was devoid of any tournaments. However, the absence of tennis was overcome in the country to some extent, which has kept its citizens and tennis fans quite happy.

While Saudi Arabia is working on adding tennis to the country, many tennis personalities are wary of the involvement of the country in the sport. Regardless, its citizens are enjoying the sport.

Saudi Arabia’s citizens enjoy tennis in the country

The Next Gen ATP Finals is a tournament that pits the best players who are 21 and younger. We have seen many promising stars compete in it, and the tournament often finds a new home. This time, the tournament landed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, making it the first tournament to be held in the country. It was a dream come true for many fans, especially Ahmed Aljefri, who was interviewed by the ATP.

When asked about his happiness at watching a prominent tournament in their city, he said, “It is a dream come true to have tennis here. I have been a fan of tennis for more than 20 years, so it is great to see the ATP Tour here. It is great the Tour has a presence in Saudi Arabia and it is amazing it is in my hometown. Lots of people have been watching tennis here in the past 15 years, so to bring a permanent tournament here is great.”

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Aljefri, who is supporting the Jordanian Abedallah Shelbayh, watched the tournament with his family and enjoyed each moment of it. The tournament in Saudi Arabia proved to be a huge success for the ATP as the audience filled the stadiums. But when it comes to investing in the sport, many tennis legends are wary of Saudi Arabia’s involvement.

Tennis personalities against Saudi Arabian investment 

One of the most prominent personalities who has spoken against letting PIF invest in tennis is Martina Navratilova. She went against her idol, Billie Jean King, who spoke in favor of the investment. Navratilova said that she would not be playing in Saudi Arabia if she were still active. John McEnroe also spoke out against it, stating the debacle that took place between LIV Golf and the PGA.

He said that even the idea seemed ludicrous. Chris Evert joined the two legends as she said that the WTA has been a pioneer of equality and has maintained integrity for over 50 years. She motivated the WTA to take less money and do the right thing. Novak Djokovic was one star who was in the middle ground. He said that the investment is not a bad idea as long as they would continue to protect the integrity and customs of the sport.

As tennis authorities have opened a dialogue with the PIF, a partnership seems imminent. What are your thoughts on the investment of the PIF in tennis?

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