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.
Ship that caused Baltimore bridge collapse has been refloated
Cliffs that sport mystical tattoos
Alves granted €1m bail after sexual assault conviction
Kylian Mbappé trudges off after another Champions League dream with PSG ends
Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. to lead Indianapolis 500 field in Corvette pace car
Camping picks up pace as holiday option
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
South China's Boao sees thriving homestay industry
Investigators return to Long Island home of Gilgo Beach serial killing suspect
China Cruise Shipping Conference opens in Shenzhen