Sports offer is valid for 90 days
Saudi Arabia offers ATP and WTA two billion euros for tennis tournaments
As of: 3:23 p.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes
Serve on desert sand: Saudi Arabia is vying for several tennis tournaments
Quelle: Getty Images via AFP/MATTHEW STOCKMAN
Saudi Arabia has been trying to expand its influence in tennis for a long time. Now the desert state is getting specific and wants to buy the ATP and WTA Masters tournaments. There is a temporary offer worth billions. There is now a threat of an argument in the scene.
After investing in football and golf, Saudi Arabia also wants to increase its influence in tennis and combine the men’s and women’s Masters tournaments. As the British newspaper “Telegraph” reported, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has made an offer totaling two billion US dollars for the ATP and WTA tournaments, the second highest category behind the four Grand Slams, which should be valid for 90 days and represents competition for a possible “Premier Tour” model that the associations had recently discussed.
Last September it became known that the professional tennis organizations for men (ATP) and women (WTA) had discussed a merger in London. At the time, the Telegraph said that it was about exactly the opposite, namely to counteract Saudi Arabia’s increased influence in world tennis and to prevent the kingdom from having its own tournament series, as in golf.
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The Saudis’ further tennis plans
According to the report, the controversial ATP boss Andrea Gaudenzi informed about the offer now presented by the PIF during discussions in Indian Wells last Saturday, without involving those responsible for the Grand Slam. According to observers, there is now a risk of a dispute between the different organizations – also due to possible effects on the tennis calendar.
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Saudi Arabia has been trying to expand its influence in professional tennis for a long time. At the beginning of the year, Rafael Nadal was introduced as the country’s tennis ambassador. In addition, a tournament called “Six Kings Slam” is scheduled to take place in October, in which the industry’s top stars such as Novak Djokovic, Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev are scheduled to take part. There is also speculation that the WTA Finals for the eight best players of the year could take place in Saudi Arabia for the first time this year.
