Riyadh is all set to host the next three editions of the WTA Finals from 2024 to 2026. The WTA and the Saudi Tennis Federation have reached an agreement to offer record prize money ($15.25 million) at the WTA Finals in 2024, which will increase further in the next two years. Saudi Arabia has been previously accused of using these events to ‘sportswash’ its reputation amid accusations of violating human rights. This announcement has now sparked a flurry of reactions in the tennis world. Iga Swiatek was the recent one to have her say on this topic.

Do the WTA stars have any role to play in the decision-making process of the WTA? During a recent interview with Punto de Break, Swiatek said, “I have learned that, no matter how many meetings we have, we do not have any decision-making power. I hope the WTA Finals will always be a great event. But I was wondering if the WTA will make any changes.” She revealed that they are still negotiating. But she is more curious to know what is going to be done next.

She further went on to add, “We travel to many places, I try to focus on my tennis. And I don’t have space in my head to think about other things, but I’ll see what I find there (in Saudi Arabia) because there are still several months left.” But what are her thoughts about these negotiations with Saudi Arabia?

Swiatek said that last year she was involved with a lot of politics in sports. But this year, she fully wants to focus on herself. She added that she has a lot of things to work on and will only give their opinions when it’s something very important. The Polish tennis star doesn’t want to pay any heed to rumors at the moment. This initiative of the WTA has divided the tennis world. Some call it an ‘exciting opportunity’, while others completely disregard it.

How can the WTA’s Saudi move help build more tennis stars like Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff?

According to the WTA Chairman and CEO, Steve Simon, “Bringing the WTA Finals to Riyadh is an exciting new opportunity for us. And a positive step for the long-term growth of women’s tennis as a global and inclusive sport.” They strongly believe that this move will create more opportunities for women to play the sport at an elite level, as he further stated that it would inspire more girls to get involved with tennis.

However, tennis legends like Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert have always been very clear about their stands on this issue. In January, they wrote an opinion piece for the Washington Post, where they noted, “Taking a tournament there would represent a significant step backwards, to the detriment not just of women’s sport, but women.”

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There are plenty of other tennis stars who have either spoken for this move or raised their voices against it. Some of them are quite confused about what will happen in the near future. What are your thoughts on the Saudi move by the WTA? Let us know below.