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The ATP already holds a professional event in Saudi Arabia after signing a five-year deal to host the Next Gen ATP Finals there last year, with the first edition held in Jeddah in November.<\/p>\n
Several big-name stars have already played in lucrative exhibitions there, while a new event featuring Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and three other Grand Slam winners will take place in October.<\/p>\n
Last month, 22-time major champion Nadal signed up as an ambassador for the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation.<\/p>\n
The partnership with the ATP could signal the start of further Saudi influence and investment, with PIF saying the move will be a “catalyst for growth of the global tennis landscape”.<\/p>\n
Mohamed al-Sayyad, PIF’s head of corporate brand, believes it will also led to “developing talent, fostering inclusivity and driving sustainable innovation”.<\/p>\n
The WTA, which is the governing body of the women’s tour, has drawn criticism for considering moving its season-ending finals to Saudi.<\/p>\n
In January, tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert wrote an opinion piece outlining their opposition to the WTA Finals being held in Riyadh.<\/p>\n
Saudi’s ambassador to the United States, Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud, responded by saying the pair have “turned their backs on women” by opposing WTA events in the Gulf state.<\/p>\n
Princess Reema told the pair to “get your facts straight” on matters of Saudi law affecting women, adding their arguments were “based on outdated stereotypes and western-centric views of our culture”.<\/p>\n
She did not address the pair’s criticism of laws which criminalise the LGBTQ community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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