Ons Jabeur has reiterated her support for Saudi Arabia amid criticism from tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert over the potential hosting of the WTA Finals in the Middle Eastern nation.
Speculation about Saudi Arabia hosting WTA Tour events, including the season-ending championship, has been circulating, especially after Jeddah was chosen as the host for the ATP Next Gen Finals from 2023 to 2027.
Navratilova and Evert recently expressed their opposition to the WTA Finals moving to Saudi Arabia in a letter to WTA CEO Steve Simon, citing concerns about gender inequality and LGBTQ rights in the country.
“A country whose long-term record on human rights and basic freedoms has been a matter of international concern for decades. Taking the WTA finals to Saudi Arabia would represent taking a significant step backward, to the detriment of the WTA, women’s sports, and women. We ask the WTA to give thought to all these considerations,” they wrote, as reported by Sports Illustrated.
In response to their criticism, Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, defended her country, calling the tennis legends’ perspective “outdated” and “Western-centric.”
“Sports should not be used as a weapon to advance personal bias or agendas or punish a society that is eager to embrace tennis and help celebrate and grow the sport,” Princess Reema stated.
Ons Jabeur, the Tunisian tennis star, also voiced her support for hosting WTA events in Saudi Arabia and commended Princess Reema for her diplomatic response to Navratilova’s and Evert’s concerns.
“Princess Reema’s answer was unbelievable. I think classy, elegant, and every player was impressed with the way she addressed Martina’s and Chris’ letter. We’re obviously looking forward to going there, I’m personally looking forward to going there,” Jabeur told AFP in Abu Dhabi.
