John McEnroe blames LIV Tour for setting wrong example as ATP moves NextGen Finals to Saudi Arabia till 2027
‘I don’t think our sport needs it’- John McEnroe
Follow Us
John McEnroe (Image via: Imago)
Following the announcement earlier this year by the Professional Golf Association (PGA) that it would merge with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, several sports are now accepting investment from Middle Eastern sovereigns. As expected, This has generated a lot of attention because the Saudi government is well-known for its sexist behaviors and stringent laws against women.
The ATP has recently revealed that one of its largest season-ending tournaments, the Next Gen ATP Finals, will relocate to Saudi Arabia until 2027, which has enraged many fans because no such country should be able to hold such a large event.
Recently, John McEnroe opened up about the ATP decision and said, “Having said that, I wouldn’t do it. I don’t think our sport needs it. I don’t think it would benefit from it, and I don’t think we should do it personally. But as [Evert] said, it’s not up to us. Someone else is going to make that decision. They’re talking about the Nextgen Finals going there, 21 and under. This is just something that I don’t understand why we’re going in that direction.”
Continuing his train of thoughts, he further stated, “Obviously, this is something that has been bandied about since golf did this. But a lot of people… are hypocrites who sit around and say that golf or tennis should not be played there while tonnes of businesses and tonnes of these people you know about — including our government and many, many others — go there and do business, but it’s suddenly outrageous that sports athletes do it.”
Is this the right decision?
Many fans are outraged that the ATP and WTA Finals championships will be held in Saudi Arabia. It will be the first time that Saudi Arabia has sponsored an official tennis tournament, and the prize money will be $2 million.
The ATP and WTA’s decision will bring a lot of traction to tennis, but the players will have to suffer in the meantime. It will be interesting to see what the ATP and WTA have planned for the future.
In case you missed:
- Saudi money creeps into tennis as Jeddah officially gets hosting rights for ATP Next Gen Finals for the next 5 years starting with a record $2,000,000 tournament
- Iga Swiatek faces ‘monumental’ Coco Gauff test early on in her pursuit to US Open
Stay Updated!
Vitasta Singh
(691 Articles Published)