Billie Jean King supports talks with Saudi Arabia on women’s tennis events

LONDON – Billie Jean King, the leading architect of women’s professional tennis who is widely regarded as the first female athlete-activist, said on Friday that she supported talks between the WTA Tour and Saudi Arabia on competitions in the kingdom, despite its abysmal record on human rights.

“I’m a huge believer in engagement. I don’t think you change unless you engage,” she said at an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the women’s professional tour.

“I would probably go there and talk to them.”

After King’s comments, Steve Simon, the CEO of the WTA Tour, said women’s tennis was seriously evaluating partnerships with Saudi Arabia.

He suggested that holding events there would be a way to support “progress” for women while the country is trying to become a destination for major sports.

“Sometimes when you are in the position we are in, you need to support the change,” Simon said, referring to the WTA Tour’s commitment to gender pay equity and its loss of revenue during the pandemic and an 18-month suspension of operations in China over the Peng Shuai saga.

He added that Saudi Arabia had “a long way to go”, especially in its laws banning homosexuality, but that change was under way in the country.

“You want them to do what they are doing and support that,” he said.

The comments from King and Simon were the strongest signal yet that Saudi Arabia is expanding and accelerating its efforts to become a part of not just men’s tennis but also women’s, among other sports like football, Formula One and golf.

The Saudi sovereign wealth fund’s LIV Golf circuit recently agreed to a merger with the well-established PGA Tour after an acrimonious rivalry that included litigation and the loss of a handful of the Tour’s biggest stars to the upstart league.

Looking to avoid that scenario and always on the hunt for new investors, tennis executives have spoken openly of their ongoing discussions with Saudi officials about holding tournaments there as soon as in 2023.

Saudi Arabia is bidding to become the host of the ATP Next Gen Finals, a men’s event for 21-and-under players scheduled for December. Its bid includes the option of holding a women’s Next Gen event there as well.

Simon had already travelled to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, in February with other WTA executives and players for meetings with Saudi officials.

But the issue is especially complicated for the WTA Tour in part because there are a number of openly gay players, including Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, who is ranked No. 11 in the world and often travels with her partner. The ATP Tour does not have any players who are openly gay.

Sloane Stephens, a member of the WTA Tour Players’ Council, said it was important for LGBTQ players to feel safe while competing in Saudi Arabia.

“That is part of the evaluation,” she said. “We want to make sure everyone is safe and comfortable and feels supported.”

King is openly gay as well, but she cited the WTA Tour’s decision to play in Doha, Qatar, beginning in 2008, as a precedent for supporting countries who want to become more progressive.

Simon said that during his visit to Riyadh, he had noticed some of the same changes that Doha had said it wanted to make 15 years ago when women had “zero rights” and there were concerns about whether the players would be safe wearing short, sleeveless tennis outfits.

“It’s about celebrating the betterment of women, that there is change coming,” he said. “I’m not saying Saudi Arabia is a place we should be doing business with. They have a long way to go, but they are making changes.”

He also said there was no timetable for making a decision about the WTA Tour going to Saudi Arabia.

However, there has yet to be a location for its season-ending WTA Tour Finals amid negotiations with the Chinese government regarding the future of that event.

The WTA Tour suspended its operations in China for 18 months after Peng was seemingly silenced after she appeared to accuse a former top government official of sexually assaulting her. A resolution has not been reached. NYTIMES