Jessica Pegula said she wants to see ‘the pros outweigh the cons’ but Ons Jabeur gives her support to the idea of playing in Riyadh
The WTA board is due to vote on its location in New York, with Riyadh, Prague and Washington among the cities bidding for the event. On Thursday, the ATP announced their first event in Saudi Arabia, with this year’s NextGen ATP Finals, an event for players aged under 21, relocating from Milan to Jeddah.
Before the pandemic, the WTA Finals had been held in Shenzhen, China, with the 2019 edition awarding Ashleigh Barty, its champion, record prize money of $4.42m. With China inaccessible for three years during the pandemic, the event had been held in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2021 and Fort Worth in the United States last year, with reduced prize money.
Asked for their opinions on competing in Saudi Arabia before the imminent vote, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff opted not to comment before a decision is made on the WTA Finals. Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, however, expressed her enthusiasm about the prospect of tennis in Saudi Arabia: “As an Arab player, I’m very excited to be there,” said Jabeur. “I am someone pushing for a change, pushing to give more and more opportunities especially for women.
Daria Kasatkina, who travels and vlogs with her girlfriend, Natalia Zabiiako, has been the most critical voice on a possible tournament in Saudi Arabia. At Wimbledon, Kasatkina expressed her concerns. “It’s easier for the men because they feel pretty good there,” said Kasatkina. “We don’t feel the same way. So it’s going to be, let’s say, money talks in our world right now. For me, I don’t think that everything is about the money.
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