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Set point to Princess Reema: Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, the Kingdom’s ambassador to Washington, pushed back at critics who say Saudi shouldn’t host the 2024 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals. Princess Reema was addressing calls by retired tennis icons Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova to dismiss Saudi’s bid to host WTA finals, set to take place in the first week of November.
“It pained me deeply to read a column in the Washington Post objecting to Saudi Arabia hosting the WTA Finals based on arguments that are outdated stereotypes and western-centric views of our culture,” said the Ambassador on social media platform X yesterday.
What they said: “The WTA’s values sit in stark contrast to those of the proposed host [Saudi]. Not only is this a country where women are not seen as equal, it is a country where the current landscape includes a male guardianship law that essentially makes women the property of men,” wrote Evert and Navratiloa.
FACT CHECK- Anybody who thinks Saudi women are the property of “their” men has never met a SAudi woman.Saudi women own over 300k businesses and almost 25% of the Kingdom’s SMEs, which is about the same percentage as the US. There are also over 330k registered female athletes in the Kingdom, with 14k actively participating in tennis, said Princess Reema.
Hear it from Nadal + Sabalenka:“If I can help them [Saudi kids] pick up a racquet or simply get fit and enjoy the benefits of healthy living, then I’ll be happy to have made a difference,” said former world #1 Rafael Nadal who, earlier this month, became an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation.
World #2 Aryna Sabalenka is also supporting the move to Saudi, citing her “amazing experience” during an exhibition event in Riyadh last year, she told Reuters.
“To those who seek to deny our women the same opportunities that others enjoy, I say that what I hear loudly and clearly is that there is no seat for me at their table. But I will welcome them at mine. Because my table isn’t limited by political views, borders, race, or geography. And I hope that they accept my invitation to sit at my table and meet the women that they may not have intended to inspire,” the ambassador added.
IN OTHER TENNIS NEWS-
Saudi’s first woman professional tennis player, Yara Al Hogbani, will be competing this weekend for a chance to join the 28-player main draw of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Openset to start on 3 February at Zayed Sports City, Arab News reports. Al Hogbani was handed a wildcard to play a qualifier this weekend.
