The WTA Masters, an emblematic event of the women’s professional circuit that brings together the eight best players in singles and the eight best teams in doubles, begins on Saturday, November 2 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will run until November 9. Endowed with more than 15 million dollars (about 13.8 million euros) in “prize money” – a sum equivalent to that of the men in the ATP Masters -, the end-of-season competition is, however, controversial due to the choice of the organizing country. with whom the WTA signed for three years. NGOs regularly criticize the Saudi kingdom for its human rights violations, particularly against women and the LGBTQ+ community.
To better understand the situation, we must step back. In 2019, the WTA left China following the Peng Shuai affair and canceled a ten-year contract. Weakened by the Covid-19 pandemic, the WTA organized the Masters on the basis of last-minute agreements. Therefore, the WTA considered Saudi Arabia’s lucrative offer as a lifeline.
But the celebration of the event in the conservative kingdom raises reservations: “I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t have reservations… declared world number 3 Coco Gauff in a press conference on Saturday, with palpable concern. “If I feel uncomfortable or if I feel like nothing is changing in the country, I probably won’t come back.”said the 20-year-old young woman, committed to the rights of minorities in the United States.
Unrest in the world of tennis
The American is not the only one who has expressed her reservations. Former world number 1 Martina Navratilova has always opposed the organization of the competition in Saudi Arabia: “ We lost our morale when we decided to go there, declared eight-time winner of the Masters of New York Times in October. I would have liked to see some progress first. Women must be equal citizens before the law. Otherwise, you might as well play in North Korea. »
Others, however, see it as a way to drive change in the region. Billie Jean King, one of the founders of the WTA and voice of women’s tennis, is in favor of holding the Masters in Riyadh, as is Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, world number 1, who stated: really impressed” for the efforts “implemented for women’s sports”.
If the subject divides so much it is because the restlessness runs through the entire center of the yellow ball. In just a few months, the ATP and the WTA have multiplied the events in Saudi Arabia: the ATP NextGen Finals, which pit the best players under 21 years old, took place in Jeddah; In October, the Six Kings Slam exhibition was organized in Riyadh that included Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic; and Rafael Nadal accepted an ambassador role to the Saudi Tennis Federation.
But the organization of the WTA Masters marks a change of course: never had the kingdom, which multiplies collaborations in sport through its Public Investment Fund (PIF), hosted an international women’s competition of such importance. However, Saudi women still cannot be trained by men, women’s rights activists are imprisoned, male guardianship remains in place, and the LGBTQ+ community is repressed.
Despite the situation, none of the players rejected the invitation: Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, Jessica Pegula, Zheng Qinwen and Barbora Krejcikova appeared in Riyadh.
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Asked about this, Coco Gauff declared on Friday: “I am fully aware of the situation in Saudi Arabia, but I believe that sport can open doors for people. (…). The WTA has committed over the next three years to supporting the “Future Stars” program in Saudi Arabia and introducing more Saudi women to the sport. I hope this promotes equality. »
