Martina Navratilova calls Cristiano Ronaldo the ‘BIGGEST SELLOUT’ for agreeing to play in Saudi Arabia and helping in sports washing

Ronaldo was sighted alongside the Saudi Crown Prince at the launch of the eSports World Cup.

Martina Navratilova calls Cristiano Ronaldo the ‘BIGGEST SELLOUT’ for agreeing to play in Saudi Arabia and helping in sports washing

Martina Navratilova (L), Cristiano Ronaldo alongside Saudi Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman(R) (Image via :- New york times and Esports World Cup announcement Saudi Arabia)

18-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova accused Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo of being complicit in the Saudi sportswashing project after he was sighted alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Ronaldo was participating in the launch of the first-ever eSports World Cup that will be held in Saudi Arabia next year.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star recently signed for Saudi football club Al-Nassr. The 38-year-old was reportedly offered a contract in excess of $400 million per season, which many believe was the reason he signed for the Saudi team.

Expressing her discontent over the images of Ronaldo greeting MbS. 

Ronaldo might be the biggest sellout of all- and that’s saying something.
Martina wrote on social media site ‘X

For context, the Saudi leader has been accused of sanctioning the murder of Turkish journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The incident led to widespread condemnation of the Saudi premier in the international community.

The Saudi leadership has been accused of attempts to whitewash their poor human rights record by trying to improve their image through the hosting of major sports events and, in turn, gaining the validation of famous sports personalities.

This has been evident in the Saudi sovereign wealth fund’s investment in English Premier League club Newcastle United last year. In addition to this, the Saudi Football League was the second-highest spender in the summer transfer window, after the English Premier League.

The Saudi League has gained the services of famous football stars, including Neymar and Karim Benzema.

Saudi Arabia to play host to the Riyadh Season Cup Exhibition on December 26–27

Saudi investment in the tennis world is gaining ground, as is evident from the exhibition event to be held later this year in Riyadh. Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Ons Jabeur, and Aryna Sabalenka have been confirmed to play in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season Cup Exhibition on December 26–27, 2023. This comes on the back of reported Saudi interest in hosting a Masters event starting in January 2005.

sabalenka djokovic alcaraz collage
Novak Djokovic , Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz (Credit : USTA)
I hope that the Masters 1000 they will have in January 2025 will satisfy their 'tennis cravings
The President of the Italian federation said in response to the rumors.

To his disappointment, the Saudi tennis cravings don’t end there, as they have been actively lobbying to win the hosting rights to the WTA Finals. 

These investments have been questioned by critics who argue that the Saudis have used their ‘oil’ riches to pay a disproportionately high amount of money to win the hosting rights.

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