With the Australian Open 2024 happening, all the focus is on tennis players. However, during what is one of the most important months in tennis, legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert have written an open letter to WTA CEO Steve Simon criticizing their decision to move the year-end champions, the WTA Finals, to Saudi Arabia.
Last year, with rumors of the WTA Finals being held in Riyadh, tennis fans and players criticized the organization for moving a women’s sport to a country known for its regressive laws against women. Among those who fought the decision were Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. Such was the backlash that WTA bundled under pressure and held the event in Cancun.
Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert’s letter to the WTA
Now that the WTA Finals are all but settled to be played in Saudi Arabia, the two 18-time Grand Slam champions wrote an open letter, which was released by Sports Illustrated. The letter read:
Dear Steve and all members of WTA Board, WTA Ventures Board and Tournament and Player Councils:
In light of the WTA Finals potentially being moved to Saudi Arabia, we feel it is essential to speak up now and highlight why we are so concerned. The WTA finals is the crown jewel of our tour and we can’t sit back and allow something as significant as this to happen without an open, honest and transparent discussion.
We fully appreciate the importance of respecting diverse cultures and religions. It is because of this, and not in spite of it, that we believe allowing Saudi Arabia to host the WTA finals is entirely incompatible with the spirit and purpose of women’s tennis, and the WTA itself.
The WTA was founded on fairness and equality to empower women in a male dominated world. In short, the WTA should represent values which sit in stark contrast to those of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Not only is this a country where women are not seen as equal, it is a country which criminalises the LGBTQ community. 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 backwards, to the detriment of the WTA, women’s sports and women. We ask the WTA to give thought to all these considerations.
Respectfully
Martina Navratilova / Chrissie Evert
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