NEW YORK (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s move into tennis will now include a multiyear deal to sponsor the WTA women’s rankings. The WTA released word of its partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) on Monday, a move that follows last month’s news that the kingdom will host the tour’s season-ending championships in Riyadh starting this year and February’s announcement that it will sponsor the ATP men’s rankings. Both tours’ rankings deals are for five years. The PIF is the first naming-rights partner for the WTA rankings and the new arrangement also includes plans to promote tennis at lower levels of the sport. Tennis has been consumed lately by the debate over whether the sport should follow golf and others in making deals with Saudi Arabia, where rights groups say women continue to face discrimination in most aspects of family life and homosexuality is a major taboo, as it is in much of the rest of the Middle East. |
Iran launches largeArtemi Panarin scores 49th goal as Rangers beat Senators 4Raymond scores late in 3rd and OT to keep Red Wings playoffs alive with 5GENERAL JACOB NAGEL: Why Israel's failure to strike back at Iran could lead to NUCLEAR WARThe marathon task of trying America's most famous man: Trump 'smirked' as he became the first exRaymond scores late in 3rd and OT to keep Red Wings playoffs alive with 5China's top political advisory body holds 3rd plenary meeting of annual sessionAngela Rayner fan Andy Burnham to have no role in police investigation into her housing affairsCanadian gov't announces plan to solve national housing crisisXi, Tokayev send congratulations to launch of Kazakhstan tourism year in China