As the world’s best female tennis players take to the court in Riyadh for the “jewel” event of the year, a young fitness instructor languishes in a Saudi prison.
Manahel al-Otaibi, 30, was sentenced to 11 years in prison during a secret trial in January for “terrorist offences” linked to social media posts in support of women’s rights.
His arrest shocked and frightened his older sister, Fawzia al Otaibi.
“I feel bad seeing that my sister is in prison and other women from outside have come to play (tennis),” she said.
Activist and fitness instructor Manahel al-Otaibi had previously praised the Saudi government for its reforms, but she was imprisoned in 2022. (AFP: Frieze Nureldine)
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals are being played in the country this week – the first professional women’s tennis event to be held in the Gulf country under a three-year agreement.
This decision divided the tennis world.
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Some believe the WTA should boycott the country until it improves its human rights record, particularly for women and LGBT groups.
Critics point out that women still live under male guardianship in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is illegal and can be punishable by death.
Others, however, emphasize the the progress that has been made and suggest that sport can have a positive impact in the kingdom.
Don’t stay silent, plead Saudi women
Ms. al-Otaibi and other Saudi women’s rights activists are calling on athletes to use their platforms to call for change and demand the release of women like Manahel.
Lina al-Hathloul, a Brussels-based activist, is the younger sister of Loujain al-Hathloul, who campaigned against the ban on women driving and spent 1,001 days in prison.
Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul was released in 2021 but imposed a travel ban. (Provided: Lina al-Hathloul)
“I don’t want Saudi Arabia to be a pariah,” Lina al-Hathloul told ABC.
“I do not want to deprive my people of anything. What I want is for these events not to contribute to obscuring the reality on the ground.
“I’m glad everyone is leaving, but please be the voice for those who have been silenced. Don’t repeat the dictator’s speech on reform. Be truly part of the change.“
She cited the case of another woman, Salma al-Shehab, who was sentenced to 34 years in prison for following and retweeting activists – including a tweet from Ms al-Hathloul.
“It shows how repressive everything has become,” she said.
Lina al-Hathloul is Head of Monitoring and Advocacy at ALQST for Human Rights. (Provided: Lina al-Hathloul)
Speaking to the ABC from Scotland, with the help of her husband’s translation, Ms al-Otaibi said the situation was akin to “sports washing”.
Sportswashing is when a beloved sporting event is used to distract from unethical practices or whitewash a tarnished reputation.
“I see that tennis players and those who promote Saudi Arabia are not contributing to change through their participation,” Ms. al-Otaibi said.
“Instead, they are used as a cover to stifle women’s struggle and conceal ongoing violations.“
She said she would prefer the players not attend and explicitly cite human rights violations as the reason, but added that if they did go, the least they could do was talk about those violations and add pressure on the government.
What do the players think?
World number one Aryna Sabalenka said she personally had no problem playing in Riyadh and that it was important to inspire a younger generation through tennis.
“I saw that everything here is rather calm,” said the Belarusian.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka says she hopes to inspire a younger generation of Saudi players. (Reuters: Alexandre Szmigiel)
“The effort they’re putting in here in women’s sports is incredible. I’m really impressed. I’m really happy to be here and to be part of, I would say, some kind of history here.”
American Coco Gauff, who has been outspoken on social justice issues including Black Lives Matter, said she was very aware of the situation in Saudi Arabia and had raised questions about LGBT rights during calls with the WTA.
“I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t have any reservations.”
she said.
Coco Gauff has been vocal on issues of social justice. (Reuters: Alexandre Szmigiel)
“We can’t just come here, play our tournament and leave. We have to have a real program and a real plan in place…I’m also very aware that we’re not going to come here and change everything.
“I think sport can be a way to open doors for people.”
Billie Jean King, founder of the WTA and considered a pioneer for gender equality in sports, was open to Saudi investment in interviews last year, although she said the way women were treated in the country was concerning.
“I want change, if we’re going to go there…I’m a big believer in engagement and inclusion, so it’s a tough question,” she said.
“All I know is I’ve never seen change without commitment.”
Tennis legend Billie Jean King said there will be no change unless you commit. (Reuters: Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
But former champions Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were against the idea, saying in an editorial published this year that they did not “build women’s tennis to be exploited by Saudi Arabia.”
“Hosting the WTA Finals there would not represent progress, but significant regression,” they wrote in the Washington Post.
The column was criticized by Saudi Ambassador to the United States Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, who said it was based on “outdated stereotypes and Western-centric views.”
She highlighted improvements for women in the country, including lifting the driving ban, greater economic participation and removing some restrictions from the male guardianship system.
But human rights groups say that failing to completely abolish the male guardianship system, and instead codifying it into law, risks undermining women’s modest gains.
Saudi Arabia accused of “sportswashing”
The WTA Finals boasts a $23 million prize pool, but it’s not the only event where Saudi Arabia has spent money.
Last month, a Saudi Kings exhibition match saw six of the best male tennis players compete, with winner Jannik Sinner pocketing $9 million. (In contrast, he earned $3.15 million for winning the Australian Open this year).
Jannik Sinner won $9 million in a recent Saudi tournament, but said he didn’t play for the money. (AFP: Frieze Nureldine)
Rafael Nadal was also criticized for becoming an ambassador for Saudi tennis.
But it’s not just tennis: Saudi Arabia has invested colossal sums in football, golf, boxing and Formula 1.
It is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the country’s economy away from oil.
Tracey Holmes, a professor of sport at the University of Canberra, said the sports wash was not the full picture and there was some hypocrisy in that the same human rights lens was not always applied to the West.
“It’s still very common in the West to call it sportswashing, but people don’t dig in and look at the way sport is used to try to change their own society to bring about positive change,” she said.
“To see the difference in how women were involved in this society as a whole in 2017 compared to now in 2024, it’s like two different countries.
“Of course we need to increase sportwashing and of course human rights, but we also need to increase them when we talk about the West, and that rarely happens.”
Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said the WTA missed an opportunity to emphasize improving women’s rights before holding the final there.
“They have not done due diligence on the human rights situation in the country, and this does not send a signal of respect for women’s rights,” she said.
WTA chief executive Portia Archer defended the decision this week.
“We often play in environments and in countries that have different customs, different cultures and, in some cases, different value systems than I might have personally or the WTA as a U.S.-based organization,” she said.
