WTA and PIF announce multiyear partnership

The GIST: Much to the chagrin of at least two tennis legends, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) entered a multiyear partnership on Monday. The eyebrow-raising but not unexpected alliance comes on the heels of last month’s announcement that the WTA Finals will be hosted in Riyadh through 2026.

The lead-up: The PIF brokered a partnership with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the men’s WTA counterpart, earlier this year. The investment fund hosted ATP exhibition matches, landed the Next Gen ATP Finals, and signed superstar Rafael Nadal as an ambassador.

• However, despite recurring negotiations, women’s tennis seemed less inclined to engage — until last month’s WTA Finals announcement.

The details: Now the only global partner for both men’s and women’s professional tennis tours, the PIF will serve as the first-ever naming partner of the WTA Rankings, giving them prominent visibility on the circuit. In addition to naming rights, the partnership will focus on enhancing and developing initiatives for youth and professional players alike.

The context: Sportswashing isn’t a new phenomenon, and the PIF is one of the usual suspects. The investment fund claims to stand on a pillar of inclusivity, but Saudi Arabia is a country known for numerous human rights violations, including the persecution of feminists, religious minorities, and LGBTQIA+ citizens.

• And although the country has taken steps forward in recent years to prioritize women and girls in sport — including the creation of a professional women’s soccer league — there’s a long way to go.

• Many, including WTA icons Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, believe the PIF’s values are in contrast to the association’s.

• On the other hand, the legendary Billie Jean King shared last year that she was open to the PIF’s involvement, being realistic about its potential to positively impact the industry as a whole.

Zooming out: Saudi Arabia’s influence in the sports realm continues to grow, and their push to become a global power has led to the investment of billions of dollars in both women’s and men’s sports, with stakes in everything from Formula 1 to women’s golf.

• Money always talks. The question now is: How will it shape?