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.
Russian theater director and playwright go on trial over a play authorities say justifies terrorism
Atletico Madrid star reveals the footballers'
Rachael Blackmore to place in BOTH rides on Day 2 of Aintree boosted to 11/4
Man United are 'playing like a small club', blasts Roy Keane after their 2
Trump accepts a VP debate but wants it on Fox News. Harris has already said yes to CBS
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is cut from 80/1 to ODDS
Anaheim residents voice concerns over Disneyland's proposed development plans
Diego Simeone is involved in feisty touchline bust
Amtrak train hits pickup truck in upstate New York, 3 dead including child
Blake Lively says she dreamed up husband Ryan Reynolds as she promotes their new animated film IF