The ATP already holds an expert occasion in Saudi Arabia after signing a five-year deal to host the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals there final yr, with the primary version held in Jeddah in November.
A number of big-name stars have already performed in profitable exhibitions there, whereas a brand new occasion that includes Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and three different Grand Slam winners will happen in October.
Final month, 22-time main champion Nadal signed up as an envoy for the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation.
The partnership with the ATP might sign the beginning of additional Saudi affect and funding, with PIF saying the transfer might be a “catalyst for development of the worldwide tennis panorama”.
Mohamed al-Sayyad, PIF’s head of company model, believes it’ll additionally led to “creating expertise, fostering inclusivity and driving sustainable innovation”.
The WTA, which is the governing physique of the ladies’s tour, has drawn criticism for contemplating transferring its season-ending finals to Saudi.
In January, tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert wrote an opinion piece outlining their opposition to the WTA Finals being held in Riyadh.
Saudi’s ambassador to the US, Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud, responded by saying the pair have “turned their backs on girls” by opposing WTA occasions within the Gulf state.
Princess Reema informed the pair to “get your information straight” on issues of Saudi regulation affecting girls, including their arguments had been “based mostly on outdated stereotypes and western-centric views of our tradition”.
She didn’t deal with the pair’s criticism of legal guidelines which criminalise the LGBTQ group.
