Australian Open 2024: Tennis players react to Nadal’s move to Saudi Arabia: “They are investing a lot of money”
ANDOn January 15, at the end of the second day of the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal announced that he was becoming the new ambassador of Saudi Arabia.
“Everywhere you look in Saudi Arabia you can see growth and progress and I’m glad to be a part of it. I continue to play tennis because I enjoy it. But beyond playing, I want to help the sport grow around the world, and there is a lot of potential in Saudi Arabia.“, he emphasized on his social networks.
This news surprised the world but less so in the tennis locker room, knowing about the petrodollars they are investing The sheikhs of the Middle Eastern country are at the table to gain a foothold on the tennis map.
“Nadal’s decision is his alone and I don’t know if it’s good or not. What happens in the world of sports is not all black and white. It’s difficult for me to express what I think in one sentence,” he expressed. Iga Swiateknumber one in the world.
If there is a backlash against us, the tennis organizations must take responsibility.
“There are a lot of rumors that the WTA Finals will be held there. I don’t know how good this is, considering the situation of women in these countries. If something happens, the tennis organizations must take responsibility,” continues. the Pole qualified this Thursday for the third round of the Australian Open.
“I don’t really follow what Rafa is going to do there, but it’s clear they are strongly committed to the sport and are investing a lot of money. Football, golf and now tennis,” he states. Caroline Wozniackione of eight mothers who were present in the women’s draw of the first major and lost in the second round to Russian Maria Timofeeva.
Arina Sabalenko, the second racket of the world, played a friendly match in Riyadh on December 27 against the Tunisian team Ons Jabeur. On the same day, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic met in the capital of Saudi Arabia.
Women’s racing legends such as Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert They were unhappy with the arrival of tennis in the area.
Sabalenko doesn’t think so: “The organizational level was a thousand times better than what we found in Cancun.“.
The Belarusian is referring to the last women’s Masters tournament, where the whistle stopped the day before the start of the competition and the stands almost always looked dull.
Present and future of the movement
The Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) has reached an agreement with the ATP to host the Next Generation Finals there for a period of five years. They are seeking the Masters 1000 for 2025 and will soon announce the acquisition of the WTA Finals, although there are many tennis players who are not willing to play in Saudi Arabia.
Nadal, who was absent from the Australian Open due to a microtear muscle, Yesterday he was seen walking around the Manacor Academy with Roger Federer himself..