The Women's Tennis Masters in Saudi Arabia is a failure

The WTA Finals are taking place this year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Although the facilities are wonderful, the event attracts almost no spectators on site.

Adrian Bürgler

It becomes a habit. After the boxing fights, the transfers of the greatest football players on the planet and the Formula 1 races, Saudi Arabia has a new toy and is currently organizing the WTA finals, the famous end-of-season Masters bringing together the eight best Tennis women of the year.

All these events are part of the Saudi regime's sportwashing policy. By this term we mean the efforts of a country which consist of improving its image through sporting events, which are positively valued throughout the world. Concretely, it is a question of making public opinion forget the shortcomings of the kingdom concerning human rights. Women and members of the LGBTQ+ community are oppressed and even persecuted in Saudi Arabia. Slavery exists. We recently learned of the death of more than 20,000 people as part of a prestigious construction project.

Goodbye Chine

The body sought to reconnect with a certain stability. The finals took place in Istanbul between 2011 and 2013 then in Singapore from 2014 to 2018. They were then supposed to be held in Shenzhen, China for nine years, but the global pandemic disrupted the plans.

The WTA was then forced to improvise. The editions of Guadalajara in Mexico and Fort Worth in the United States attracted few spectators. The lowest point was reached last season, when Cancun's temporary stadium was hastily installed and a tropical storm made conditions difficult.

This is how the women's circuit signed a contract with Saudi Arabia. From now on, the finals will take place in Riyadh, at least until 2026. Money of course motivated this choice. The WTA is facing financial difficulties and recorded losses of more than $15 million in 2020 and 2021. Its future depends on Saudi millions.

The trip to the desert is also worth it for the players. The eight will receive $335,000 each just for their participation. To this is added 350,000 dollars per victory during the group stage. If a tennis player wins the finals without losing, she will receive more than $5 million. Jackpot.

Decision criticized

Do female players accept human rights violations without flinching? No. There have been criticisms since the signing of the contract was announced. Recently, Darja Kasatkina said: “It’s a country with a lot of problems.” However, she was assured that her safety as a homosexual player, in a relationship with skater Natalja Sabijako, would be guaranteed.

Although she has reasons to boycott the tournament, Kasatkina is present in Riyadh. As the first replacement, she will receive the respectable sum of $250,000. She sees this tournament as a chance to shake things up in Saudi Arabia.

Celebrity trainer Judy Murray is on the same page. “We couldn’t dream of a better showcase. We must seize this chance,” she said. Andy's mother hopes that female audiences, allowed to attend sporting events since 2018, will be inspired by the players. WTA director Portia Archer leans the same way. “It’s easy to point fingers and condemn from the outside. But some changes must come from within,” she breathes.

The spectators sulk the event

But for things to happen, the event would have to be really appreciated by the local public. Because on Monday, the King Saud University Indoor Stadium with a capacity of 5,000 seats seemed very empty, while the cheapest tickets were sold for the equivalent of less than ten francs.

“It's just disappointing,” said Tim Henman, consultant for the Sky channel, on this subject. The stadium, training grounds and all the facilities are fantastic, he says. In these conditions, it is even more frustrating to have to deal with such a dull atmosphere. Certainly, Iga Swiatek seemed to appreciate the fact of being able to play in a relatively calm atmosphere. However, empty seats displease the Saudi regime.

This is not the first time that sporting events organized in the country have faced such a problem. Recently, the best snooker players played a Masters in Riyadh in front of empty stands.

We told you about it here

This was also the case during the Next Gen ATP Finals last year. The matches of Dominic Stricker and company had not aroused any interest from the local public, until the organizers reacted. According to the Daily Gazettespectators were called at short notice and then paid to fill the room somewhat. The extras, whose number was estimated at 700, received 100 Saudi riyals, or approximately 23 francs, to sit for four hours in the arena.

Who knows, maybe the venue hosting the WTA Finals will suddenly fill up again, as if by magic, in the coming days.