There was Formula 1, soccer and then golf.
After seizing part of the power of three disciplines that are booming internationally, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) is preparing to gain even more ground by taking control of professional tennis .
It started with a formalized agreement at the end of February. In a document published by the ATP, the circuit explains that it is partnering with the PIF for advertising revenue purposes. Thus, the three letters most linked to the phenomenon of sportswashing will appear at the top of the circuit ranking in its official representations, in addition to interfering in the title of the champion of the season crowned during the season finals, in Turin.
Added to this contract are barely veiled advertisements, on the panels at the back of the court, in certain Masters 1000 category tournaments, such as Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing, in addition to the ATP finals and the NextGen tournament. . The National Bank of Montreal Open, another Masters 1000 tournament, is not part of the lot.
“Some tournaments have direct agreements with the PIF and we do not. We were not approached at all in this regard. So no one had a decision to make, because no one approached us,” Tennis Canada confirmed to this effect to The Press.
In return for this visibility, the Fund is committed to “developing and offering new opportunities for young players and implementing initiatives for the development of young players”.
On paper, that was the original deal. But when we dig deeper, we realize that the PIF’s motivations lie elsewhere and go well beyond simple advertising.
What we know
In short, what had to happen happened. The PIF has control over some of the most prestigious organizations in the world. With his reserve of $925 billion, it was only a matter of time before he took an interest in professional tennis, one of the most played and followed sports on the planet.
According to certain European media, including the daily The Telegraph, the Saudis’ project would first be to unite the ATP and the WTA to make a single circuit, established under the same leadership. The PIF’s investment of 3.84 billion would resolve the problems of salary inequity, because men and women would obtain the same scholarships.
On the other hand, it would ensure that the Saudis would offer great visibility to their country, because the men’s and women’s season finals would be played there.
Nothing is official yet. For now, only the first contract regarding brand placement is official. According to some people close to the two entities, nothing will be set in stone before 2026, but everything suggests that it will come to fruition sooner or later. So, with this first advertising partnership, the locomotive is already in motion.
The wish of the Saudis
Two ideas would be in the pipeline for the inevitable day when the PIF will be in charge.
The first: partner with the organizations and decision-makers of the four major tournaments (the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the United States Open) to cancel the current structure of the calendar and create the First Tour, a circuit limiting the number of tournaments in addition to excluding all players beyond 100e global position. There would still be a second order circuit, for the top 200including 75 to 100 tournaments offering equal purses.
The second: continue the coexistence of the two circuits, but by bringing them together under the same management committee for the purposes of broadcasting rights and equitable revenue sharing. This scenario would include the presentation of a Masters 1000 tournament in Saudi Arabia.
Where the Saudis’ proposal differs from their push into the golf world is in their desire to unite rather than divide.
In golf, the LIV Tour has created its own rules, its own rewards system and its own calendar. He offered astronomical fees to PGA Tour players to attract them with the aim of weakening and weakening the American circuit.
However, for tennis, this idea of shaking up the established order seems less of a priority. The idea, according to interviews conducted on the other side of the Atlantic, would truly be to overhaul the model already in place while retaining the best ATP and WTA players in their current circuit.
Challenges
There is a fascinating paradox in this whirlwind of rumor and hearsay in which the end justifies the means.
The WTA desperately needs to find money. The circuit was in deficit by $15 million last year. And players like Tunisian Ons Jabeur have expressed their support for the Saudi cause. The only player from the Arab world among the top 50 in the world, Jabeur said in early March that as a player, she feels “it’s time to go there.” “It’s time to give this opportunity to women who dream of becoming tennis players.”
Female succession must be ensured, there is no doubt. But at what cost ?
By leaving the keys to the circuit to the Saudis, it’s a bit like decision-makers and players shaking hands with the devil.
As cited in a document from the Amnesty International organization, Saudi Arabia has just approved a law that codified male guardianship and discrimination against women. “It reinforces the patriarchal assignment of roles based on gender, by requiring women to obey their husbands. […] These provisions expose women to the risk of exploitation and violence, including marital rape, which is not criminalized under Saudi law. »
The government also sentenced women’s rights activists “guilty of exercising their rights to freedom of expression” on Twitter to unprecedentedly long prison terms.
The idea of offering a sport and possible avenues to women in a part of the globe that is too often neglected is laudable. But doing so in a country in which women have extremely limited rights raises questions. Especially from former players like Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
Things have time to change between now and 2026. But we have to admit that a 925 billion dollar locomotive is difficult to stop.