World No. 3 Jessica Pegula on board with playing the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia provided ‘money and arrangement’ is right

Jessica Pegula is ready to play in the Middle East if it helps the women in the country.

World No. 3 Jessica Pegula on board with playing the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia provided ‘money and arrangement’ is right

Jessica Pegula (Image via Sports Illustrated)

American tennis star Jessica Pegula sees no problem in playing in Saudi Arabia if the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) decides to hold its flagship event, the WTA Finals in the Middle East. However, the American is onboard only if the money and arrangements are right. Pegula also said that players, especially women don’t have the luxury to say no and hence she is okay with the plan to hold the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia.

The ATP recently (on Thursday) announced that it will hold its NextGen ATP Finals in Jeddah. This decision to move the tournament from Italy to Saudi Arabia drew interesting reactions. This also meant that the WTA would also have to decide on the new venue for the WTA Finals. 

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There are a few contenders with Riyadh, Prague, and Washington among the cities bidding for the event. Among all, Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh seems to have an edge considering the capital in possession. But the constant issues in the country about human rights and women’s rights have concerned fans as well as the players. Nevertheless. Pegula is ready to give the country a chance if the arrangements are made right. 

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“It’s unfortunate that a lot of women’s sports don’t have the luxury to say no to some things. Again, I think if the money was right and the arrangement was something that we could get behind where we could go and create change, then I would be okay playing there,” Pegula said ahead of the US Open. 

Also Read: Iga Swiatek expresses her disappointment with WTA over the no announcement on Tour Finals claiming the decision was expected in early 2023

Jessica Pegula changes her stance in a matter of hours

Jessica Pegula
Jessica Pegula (Image via The Guardian)

The American had also shared her opinion on the matter a couple of days back. As ATP confirmed Jeddah as the new venue on Thursday, Jessica Pegula was asked about the WTA choosing Riyadh as the potential venue and the American had said that she is not too comfortable with the idea. However, she is ready to go and play in the Middle East if it changes the landscape for women’s sports in the country. 

“I think that if you look at a pros and cons list, we’d obviously have to see there be a lot of pros outweighing the cons to feel comfortable going there, whether that’s seeing them as a group maybe have to donate money to women’s sports or women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, to see some sort of change or action going towards helping those causes in their country,” said Pegula (via The Guardian).

While Jessica Pegula has openly shared her views on this matter, the likes of Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek remained tight-lipped and waited for the WTA to make the announcement.

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