Saudi Arabia is going to sponsor the WTA women's tennis rankings under a new partnership
NEW YORK (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s move into tennis will now include a multiyear deal to sponsor the WTA women’s rankings.
The WTA released word of its partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) on Monday, a move that follows last month’s news that the kingdom will host the tour’s season-ending championships in Riyadh starting this year and February’s announcement that it will sponsor the ATP men’s rankings.
Both tours’ rankings deals are for five years.
The PIF is the first naming-rights partner for the WTA rankings and the new arrangement also includes plans to promote tennis at lower levels of the sport.
Tennis has been consumed lately by the debate over whether the sport should follow golf and others in making deals with Saudi Arabia, where rights groups say women continue to face discrimination in most aspects of family life and homosexuality is a major taboo, as it is in much of the rest of the Middle East.
Related articles
Storms damage homes in Oklahoma and Kansas. But in Houston, most power is restored
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Fast-moving storms with strong winds, large hail and apparent tornadoes swept O2024-05-21Biden hosts Kishida in official visit as US, Japan bolster defense ties
From cherry trees to collective deterrence, the United States and Japan celebrated their decadeslong2024-05-21Alicudi: Italian island offers goats up for adoption
By Hafsa KhalilGoats outnumber people six to one on the Italian island of Alicudi, a census has esti2024-05-21Pope Francis calls for ceasefire in Gaza and Ukraine in Easter message
By Thomas Mackintosh, BBC NewsPope Francis leads the Easter Mass at St Peter's Square. Photo: AFP/Va2024-05-21College baseball notebook: Conference tournaments to decide NCAA automatic bids and many at
The field for the NCAA baseball tournament will take shape this week with conference tournaments det2024-05-21Officials advise softer is better when it comes to boot camps
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone2024-05-21
atest comment