Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova call women’s tennis in Saudi Arabia a ‘step backward’

Women’s tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova openly criticized the idea of hosting the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia. The former on-court rivals argued in a recent Washington Post op-ed, that such a move would signify a regression, not progress, in women’s sports.

The debate in the tennis community has intensified, mirroring discussions in other sports about engaging with Saudi Arabia, a nation grappling with human rights concerns. Critics point out the continued discrimination against women in many aspects of life and the criminalization of homosexuality in the country.

“Taking a tournament there would represent a significant step backward, to the detriment not just of women’s sport, but women,” said Evert and Navratilova, per Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press. “We hope this changes someday, hopefully within the next five years. If so, we would endorse engagement there.”

Saudi Arabia, aiming to diversify its economy and improve its international image, has recently begun hosting significant sports events. This includes the men’s Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah and discussions about the potential relocation of the prestigious WTA Finals to the country. Additionally, tennis star Rafael Nadal has taken on an ambassador role for the Saudi Tennis Federation, with plans to establish a tennis academy there.

Evert and Navratilova, who have both clinched 18 Grand Slam singles titles, stressed that bringing a major women’s tennis event to Saudi Arabia would be detrimental to the cause of women’s rights.

“There should be a healthy debate over whether ‘progress’ and ‘engagement’ is really possible,” Evert and Navratilova wrote in The Washington Post op-ed piece. “Or whether staging a Saudi crown-jewel tournament would involve players in an act of sportswashing merely for the sake of a cash influx.”

Billie Jean King doesn’t agree with Chris Evert’s, Martina Navratilova’s concerns