Saudi Arabia is entering the sports market more and more boldly. Cristiano Ronaldo is already playing in Saudi Arabia. Formula 1 races are also held there. It turns out that Saudi Arabia is also in talks with the ATP authorities. Does this mean tennis will come to Saudi Arabia?
Tennis is one of the most prestigious and expensive sports that can be practiced. This belief has been established because of the royal origin of the sport and the large amount of money it takes to train a professional tennis player. No wonder that Saudi Arabia, one of the richest countries in the world, became interested in tennis.
Although there is a lot of money in tennis, it goes to only a few players. This is because it is an individual discipline, so there can only be one winner in the tournament. He/she is the one who gets the highest prize pool, and the rest have to make do with small salaries. However, the tennis authorities are aware that training and coaching staff, both winning and losing, cost the same, so they are looking for ways to increase prize money for everyone. This is where Saudi Arabia comes in with huge sums.
The ATP authorities are looking for ways to enrich the prize pool in major tournaments to match that of the Grand Slam tournaments. In an interview with the Financial Times, the head of the men’s tennis organization, Andrea Gaudenzi, revealed that the ATP is currently in talks with the sheikhs on the matter.
“We had a promising conversation, but it’s important to stay true to our history by working with our current partners, not against them. You have to keep what is sacred to us, it’s like the rules of the game.”- Gaudenzi said.
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