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Former Grand Slam champions Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova said the WTA Finals moving to Saudi Arabia is a “step backward” for women’s tennis.
Critics of Saudi Arabia have accused the oil-rich kingdom of using its wealth to invest in sports in a bid to improve its image – known as ‘sportswashing’.
The country has heavily invested recently in golf, Formula 1, football and boxing.
The state has come under intense international scrutiny, with critics highlighting that women’s rights are still restricted and homosexuality is illegal.
The WTA Finals is the first major tour-level event held in Saudi.
WTA chief executive Portia Archer said the organisation is “comfortable” in its decision to host the event in Saudi Arabia.
“We often play in environments and in countries that have different customs, different cultures, and in some cases different value systems than I or the WTA may have,” she said.
“We take care to respect those local customs. We may not always agree with some of the policies in place in a particular country.”
All the players were asked at the tournament’s media day about competing in the country.
World number three Gauff said she had had some reservations.
“First, for the LGBTQ+ community, for me it’s always a community I’m going to fight for. I hear your concerns,” she said.
“I really do feel like, in order to ignite change, you have to start little by little. That’s how I’ve been taught growing up black in America, knowing our history.
“If we shied away from it then, where would we be now? The same message goes out there for women.
“Obviously I’m a woman. I was very concerned. My dad was very concerned with me coming here.”
Top-ranked Sabalenka said it was “important to bring tennis all around the world”.
“The effort they put into women’s sport here is incredible. I’m really impressed,” she said.
“I’m really happy to be here and to be part of, I would say, some sort of history here.”