Saudi Arabia’s WTA Finals Plan Faces Criticism from Navratilova and Evert

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“headline”: “Martina Navratilova ve Chris Evert: WTA Finalleri’ni Suudi Arabistan’da Düzenlemek Geriye Doğru Bir Adım Olurdu”,
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“name”: “Martina Navratilova”
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“description”: “Tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert expressed their concerns about the possibility of WTA Finals being held in Saudi Arabia.”,
“articleBody”: “Tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert have expressed their concerns about the possibility of the WTA Finals being held in Saudi Arabia. They described it as a ‘regressive step’ for women’s tennis. The former top-ranked players voiced their opinions in an article for the Washington Post, calling the WTA Finals the ‘crown jewel’ of the women’s tour. They criticized the WTA Board for not consulting the players about the potential move to Saudi Arabia and called for an ‘open and honest discussion’ about whether ‘progress’ is truly possible in the Gulf country. Saudi Arabia has been accused of using sports events to ‘cleanse’ its reputation while facing intense international scrutiny over human rights violations and repression of women. Navratilova and Evert said that hosting a tournament there would be ‘a significant step backward’ not only for women’s sports but also for women in general. Ons Jabeur, a Tunisian tennis player who has become an icon in the Arab world, expressed excitement about the possibility of the WTA Finals being held in Saudi Arabia. The country hosted the Next Gen ATP Finals in December, marking its first step into professional tennis. On the men’s side, tennis legend Rafael Nadal has announced that he is the new ambassador for the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation, including plans to establish a Nadal Academy in the country. Women’s tennis icon Billie Jean King expressed positive sentiments about supporting change during her visit to Saudi Arabia. As a founding member of the WTA and a leading advocate for gender equality, King emphasized the importance of interaction in driving change, stating, ‘I really believe in engagement. I don’t think you’re going to change things unless you engage. How are we going to change anything if we don’t engage?'”
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