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
Siblings trying to make US water polo teams for Paris Olympics
WALNUT, Calif. (AP) — Chase Dodd started swimming when he was just a kid. Once he began playing wate2024-05-21Esteury Ruiz homers and the A’s beat the Cardinals 6
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Esteury Ruiz homered for the second time in three games since being recalled2024-05-21Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever jersey becomes Fanatics' best
Caitlin Clark has broken yet another record, as her Indiana Fever jersey became the top-selling jers2024-05-21Wednesday adds Steve Buscemi to highly
Wednesday has added some star power as Steve Buscemi has been casted for season 2 of the Netflix se2024-05-21Ben Whishaw lights up the Croisette as he joins his co
Ben Whishaw was all smiles at the world premiere of Limonov: The Ballad at the 77th annual Cannes Fi2024-05-21Hoda Kotb, 59, reveals she is STILL single and 'looking for the one'
Hoda Kotb's Today co-host Jenna Bush Hager has confirmed that she is still very much single and 'loo2024-05-21
atest comment