Martina Navratilova has clearly expressed her opinion on the
ATP and
WTA deciding to host tournaments in Saudi Arabia.
Recently, the ATP announced that it would be moving the Next Gen Finals, a tournament for the best players aged under 21, from Italy to the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, where they will remain until 2027.
Moreover, Sports Illustrated reported that the
WTA Finals could be moved to Riyadh, the capital city of the country. Both developments have received a mixed reaction from active and former players, with the likes of Nick Kyrgios, Ons Jabur, and
Billie Jean King supporting increased interactions between the tennis Tours and Saudi Arabia.
Navratilova criticizes move
However, other players such as
John McEnroe and
Chris Evert have spoken out against Saudi involvement in the sport, and now Navratilova has also voiced her opposition via a text to Sports Illustrated executive editor Jon Wertheim.
Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Wertheim wrote:
"And this (via text) from @Martina : “I can tell you 100% if I were still playing, I would not be going [to Saudi Arabia] for the Championships."
The text does not reveal Navratilova's reasons for avoiding the country, but many fans have pointed out Saudi Arabia's poor human rights record in light of these developments.
Navratilova responds to backlash
Women in the country were only allowed to vote in 2015 and to drive in 2018. Meanwhile, according to World Report 2023, women still require a male guardian's permission to "get married, leave prison, or obtain some forms of sexual and reproductive healthcare."
Moreover, homosexual activity is illegal in the country, with the maximum punishment being the death penalty.
The country has also carried out mass executions in recent years, and it was recently reported that between March 2022 and June 2023, Saudi border guards killed at least hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers who were trying to cross the Saudi Arabia-Yemen border.
Following Wertheim's tweet, Navratilova responded with suggestions that she was facing backlash for being against hosting tournaments in Saudi Arabia.
"Hard to believe I am getting cr*p for saying I would not go play tennis in Saudi Arabia. From all kinds of angles. WTAF???" she wrote.
