Two billion US dollars for even more influence: Saudi Arabia has apparently reached the next level in the tug-of-war for power in tennis.
According to a report, the regime in the Persian Gulf wants to unite the ATP and WTA tours, and no price seems too high for the kingdom with its almost inexhaustible PIF sovereign wealth fund.
WTA is considering offer according to Telegraph
It would be a revolution – and Saudi Arabia’s next step on its planned path to becoming the center of world sport. According to the British newspaper “The Telegraph”, ATP boss Andrea Gaudenzi told the organizers of the Masters tournaments on Saturday (03/09/2024) in Indian Wells that the PIF had made an offer that “will expire if it is not within the next few months 90 days is accepted”.
It is an aggressive attempt by the kingdom to gain control of the tours. According to the Telegraph, the WTA said in a statement that it was examining the offer for the equivalent of around 1.83 billion euros: “There is still no consensus within the sport about a preferred outcome.”
It is known that at least the ATP is open to lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia. It was only at the end of February that the players’ union announced a “multi-year strategic partnership” with the kingdom, making the PIF the official partner of the ATP rankings as well as the tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing, the ATP finals at the end of the season in Turin and the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah – merging the tours would be the next stage in the collaboration.
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Headwind from Australia
But there are also headwinds. One aspect of the Saudi initiative is apparently to host a Masters tournament in the first week of the season – this place in the tour calendar is currently (still) occupied by the United Cup in Australia. “I’ve never seen the PIF interest as negative. I’ve always seen it as positive. But as a sport, we shouldn’t do something that negatively impacts a long-standing partner in sport,” Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley emphasized in January.
The season opener is traditionally held Down Under in preparation for the Australian Open. “The discussion we want to have is: Where is the opportunity for everyone where we can all coexist,” Tiley said.
But coexistence is not enough for the Saudis; the desert state, which is highly controversial because of its devastating human rights situation, has been investing in sport for years and is taking over more and more events and tournaments in football, golf and boxing.
Grand Slam tournaments should remain independent
In tennis, at least the Grand Slam tournaments should not be part of the agreement and should remain independent, but the kingdom has already got the best players on the tour behind it. The 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal acts as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Association, and in October five Grand Slam winners will audition for a show tournament in Riyadh. And with unlimited cash reserves, the Saudis’ progressive takeover of power seems unlikely to be stopped.