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.
Cruise worker 'murders newborn son on board ship': Shocked co
No sanctions on China over Hong Kong: PM
Watch: PM Christopher Luxon speaks at post
ANZ Premiership Netball: Can anyone knock over the Mystics?
With Djokovic awaiting the winner, Murray trails Hanfmann at rain
Christopher Luxon's reo Māori lessons paid for by taxpayer
Worldwide virus deaths exceed 18,800
Hong Kong protest: police arrest pro
Supreme Court rejects an appeal from a Canadian man once held at Guantanamo
Tākaka man who died in mysterious circumstances named
College baseball notebook: Conference tournaments to decide NCAA automatic bids and many at
New Zealand is in a recession: What you need to know