The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) will become the first-ever ranking partner of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the two organizations announced Monday, as part of a multi-year partnership.
The announcement marks the PIF’s latest foray into tennis, after the men’s ATP Tour also signed a multi-year “strategic partnership” earlier this year.
“Together, we look forward to sharing the journey of our talented players throughout the season, while continuing to grow the sport, creating more tennis fans and inspiring more young people to take up the game,” Marina Storti, CEO of WTA Ventures, said in a statement.
This announcement marks the latest step in a radical change on the part of the women’s circuit, which has until now been reluctant to accept a Saudi partnership.
Outgoing CEO Steve Simon said last year that Saudi Arabia posed “big problems” as a host of women’s tennis events.
But it was announced in April that the season-ending WTA Finals would be held in the Saudi capital Riyadh from 2024 to 2026, with the Saudi Tennis Federation offering a record prize fund of $15.25 million this year.
The announcement came despite reservations from retired greats Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, while Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, who came out as gay in 2022, also expressed reservations.
Women’s rights activists and members of the LGBTQ community have accused the country of “sportswashing”, criticising Saudi Arabia’s human rights record as it pours huge sums of money into football, Formula One and the LIV golf circuit.
Mohamed AlSayyad, head of corporate brand at PIF, said the organization would “continue to be a catalyst for the growth of women’s sport”.
“We look forward to working with the WTA to increase participation and inspire the next generation of talent,” he said in a statement.
