Top players like Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and more recently received a surprising update as WTA finally decided to move its year-end tournament to Saudi Arabia. As the whole story of reaching the final decision was uncovered, the chapter on how tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert were consulted during the process became a major point of attention.

During the proceedings of moving the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) officials engaged in discussions with the former tennis champions regarding their firm opposition to Saudi Arabia hosting the finals.

Marina Storti, CEO of WTA Ventures, confirmed the involvement of Navratilova and Evert, stating, “We had a lot of constructive discussions with Martina and Chris. Obviously they are legends of the WTA, they are highly respected, and they had some concerns.”

Her statement was based on the opposition letter that they both presented back in the Washington Post, where they mentioned Saudi Arabia’s bid as regressive for women’s rights and the core parameters of women’s tennis. “We did not help build women’s tennis to be exploited by Saudi Arabia,” they declared in their column.

Despite the criticisms, WTA officials remain confident in their decision, highlighting the potential benefits for the sport’s growth. “Ultimately we feel like we’re making the right decision for the sport, for women’s tennis, for our players, for our fans,” Storti added.

As the decision is finally made, the fact that the disagreement of the tennis legends was treated with respect shows how the proceedings of the officials were well discussed.

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert present a different reason to what the fans presume

Fans have been collectively disregarding the decision taken by the authorities to shift the event to Riyadh. While everyone has developed a presumption that the officials are attracted to the immense funding that the country offered, the decision somehow backfired.

However, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert do not think the same. According to them, the reason for not supporting the decision to move the event to Saudi Arabia is the fact that the country doesn’t weigh women equally as men stood to be the main reason behind their disagreement.

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“The values of the WTA are in stark contrast to those of the proposed host,” the letter said. Along with that, their perspective also included the discomfort rooted in the male guardianship law. “Not only is this a country where women are not seen as equals, but it is a country where the current landscape includes a male guardianship law that essentially turns women into men’s property,” they added.

As the final decision has been made, it still remains to be seen if they both come forward with a response over it. With that, their current thoughts about the announcement are also expected to be unveiled.

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