Tim Henman has become the latest tennis legend to question the staging of the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabiaeven if his concerns were less about sportswashing than about the absence of spectators in the stands.
Henman – the former British number one who now commentates for Sky Sports – was among the frustrated observers as the second day of the WTA Finals drew an embarrassing crowd of around 400 spectators, reopening debate over the decision to to bring elite tennis in Riyadh.
So far, the conversation has mostly revolved around the moral arguments for and against this revolutionary event. 80s giants Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova refused to attend after describing the choice of Saudi Arabia as a “significant step backwards, towards detriment of the WTAwomen’s sport and women.
But the eight qualified players presented a united front. They insist the tournament will be a force for good, arguing that the presence of so many independent female athletes can inspire local women in a country ranked 126th out of 146 on the Global Gender Gap Index. sexes.
However, for such lofty aspirations to be realized, there must be people – preferably women – in the stands to watch them. On Sunday, the 5,000-capacity stadium was less than 10 percent full, although the cheapest tickets cost no more than 30 riyals (£6). This deficit raises another sort of question: Can Saudi Arabia justify hosting a tournament of this scale for the full duration of the three-year contract if there is no interest from the local population?
Furthermore, could there be a structural problem with women’s sport in Saudi Arabia? When Riyadh hosted the exhibition Six King’s Slam at a nearby venue three weeks ago, all 8,000 seats were largely filled for matches involving Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. It seems plausible that just as female citizens of the Kingdom are legally dependent on their male guardians, women’s sports are also considered second class.
“There has been a lot of debate about whether sporting events should be held in Saudi Arabia,” Henman said, “but if we go beyond that and just view these WTA Finals as an event, it It’s extremely disappointing when you have the best players in the world – Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff – performing in front of a crowd like that today.
“The organizers are in a privileged position here because they are not necessarily trying to make money from gate receipts. So they should go to the communities and to the schools, because we need spectators here to see the best players and create that atmosphere.
After the first match of the day, in which Swiatek defeated Barbora Krejcikova in three sets, Krejcikova told reporters: “There weren’t many fans but they created a good atmosphere.”
Later, Coco Gauff beat her friend, compatriot and sometimes doubles partner Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-2. Gauff then explained: “Whenever there is something new in an area, I don’t expect the crowd to be full. It’s just part of the development of the game. Look at the WNBA (women’s basketball league). These stands probably weren’t this full a few years ago, and now they are for all the teams. So I think it’s just growing pains.
Pegula was also optimistic when she said: “We played many matches where there weren’t many people. We played throughout Covid where there was no one.
But Sky Sports commentator Jonathan Overend pointed out on air that there are many countries around the world where players like Swiatek – a three-time major champion and former world number one – would draw a sizeable crowd without him being necessary to educate the local population. attractions of the game.
In a statement, the WTA made the same point as Gauff, saying: “We are bringing tennis to a new audience and that takes time to build. ” He also highlighted the “strong attendance on the opening day” and added that “we have always anticipated a drop in attendance with the start of the Saudi working week on Sunday, but expect the numbers to increase as the approaching the weekend.
The atmosphere had certainly been lively during Saturday’s opening singles match between Qinwen Zheng and Aryna Sabalenka, which the Belarusian won 6-3, 6-4 to extend her record to 100 percent against the Olympic champion.
“The crowd was almost non-existent”
The stands were at least 70% full for this match, with a Chinese majority giving Qinwen the feeling of playing at home. However, the numbers dropped for Saturday night’s match between Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina, as doubles barely registered.
On Sunday, organizers were quick to mention that students were busy with their exams in Riyadh – a disadvantage for an event held at King Saud University’s indoor arena. However, the next four days are also expected to see small crowds until the numbers pick up again on Friday.
The two previous editions of the WTA Finals, held in Texas two years ago and in Cancun last year, also suffered from low attendance. But there was much more excuse in these cases.
“Texas and Cancun were both arranged at the last minute,” Henman said, “while the Riyadh announcement came back in April.
“I think the organizers have to take into account the lack of fans. The way they built the facilities and took care of the players was truly impressive. But the allocation of tickets – I don’t think you can even call it a ticket sale, when it’s not really a commercial operation – needs to be taken more seriously. Today the crowds were almost non-existent.
