WTA CEO Steve Simon finally breaks silence on staging the Tour Finals in Saudi Arabia as players and fans unite against the decision

WTA CEO addresses the controversy surrounding WTA and Saudis.

WTA CEO Steve Simon finally breaks silence on staging the Tour Finals in Saudi Arabia as players and fans unite against the decision

(R) Steve Simon (Source: Perfect Tennis)

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) had earlier revealed that they were considering hosting the season-end WTA Finals in the Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia. These prospects have received mixed reactions from women players and are being criticized heavily by fans. The possibility of playing the Finals in Saudi Arabia has left many outraged.

After several players have come out to take their stand and to make their position clear on this matter, the chairman and CEO of the WTA, Steve Simon, finally broke his silence on Saturday. While at an event in London to mark the 50th anniversary of WTA’s formation, Simon said, “We haven’t made any decisions or entered in to any formal negotiations. They’re talking to a lot of people and a lot of different sports right now. We’re evaluating like everybody else.”

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The WTA had recently revealed that it has not ruled out the idea of hosting the season-ending competition there. The Saudi state has been accused of making attempts at ‘Sports-washing’ to mask its human rights issues. The country poses concerns as a potential host for Women’s Tennis events, but Simon has revealed they are engaging with players and evaluating their next move.

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“We have not made any decisions yet on this. As with all decisions regarding the future of the WTA, we are working closely with players and focused on continuing to build a strong future for women’s tennis,” Simon said. Pointing to the success of WTA tournaments in Qatar, he said Saudi Arabia has made ‘huge strides’. “They have a long way to go, but they’ve made huge strides.”

Related: Coco Gauff makes her position clear on shifting the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia as fans and players await the final decision

ATP moves Finals to Saudi Arabia

Next GEN ATP Finals
Next GEN ATP Finals (Source: Perfect Tennis)

After the Professional Golf Association (PGA) said that it would merge with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, several sports are now accepting investments from Saudi and other Middle Eastern countries. This has enraged several people since the Saudi government is infamous for its stringent laws against women.

ATP has revealed that one of its largest season-ending tournaments, the Next Gen ATP Finals, will relocate to Saudi Arabia until 2027. This has enraged many fans as a country with such a terrible record on human rights should not be considered to hold such a large event.

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