The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia has denied any involvement in a rumored $2bn (£1.5bn) offer to merge the men’s ATP and women’s WTA Tours, stating that it does not want to cause any disruptions in the sport.
The ATP chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi, reportedly updated representatives of the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in California about a proposal to combine the men’s and women’s tours. It is reported that Gaudenzi let them know of a “time-sensitive” offer from PIF and gave them a deadline of 90 days to accept.
The PIF has chosen not to provide a response regarding the reports, however, sources have refuted the existence of a deadline and emphasized that any discussions about potential offers are premature while negotiations with different organizations are still ongoing. Saudi sources have also rejected the notion that the PIF is attempting to “purchase tennis”, stating that their goal is to become a part of the current network within the sport.
Last month, the ATP Tour and PIF reached a long-term partnership agreement, showcasing the kingdom’s continued investment in sports. This alliance will lead to the PIF’s name being added to the ATP rankings and the year-end world No 1 title. Additionally, the PIF will have their branding displayed on the court at significant ATP 1000 tournaments including Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, and Beijing, as well as the ATP Finals in Turin.
But unlike in golf, where the PIF-backed LIV Golf Series has proven to be a major disruptor of the status quo, Saudi Arabia’s approach to tennis, those involved stress, is to be collaborative; working with the existing governing bodies as part of attempts to grow participation among the general population in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia is expected to be confirmed as the new hosts of the end-of-season finals for both the WTA and ATP tours, with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova among those to have opposed the move.
According to the report in The Telegraph, the potential agreement with PIF would involve Saudi Arabia hosting a Masters 1000 tournament at the start of the season. This would directly compete with the mixed-gender United Cup team competition, currently held in Australia as a lead-up to the Australian Open. Craig Tiley, of Tennis Australia, has reportedly expressed strong disapproval of this concept.
There is still no resolution between the four major tennis tournaments regarding the creation of a new Premium Tour format that would bring together the men’s and women’s competitions and provide equal earnings for both groups. The ATP and WTA tours have been discussing the possibility of joining forces for a while now.
Source: theguardian.com
