ATP In Talks With Saudi Arabia In A Bid To Buy Into Tennis
ATP
Saudi Arabia entered talks with the ATP about buying into tennis, according to latest reports.
For quite some time, Saudi Arabia has shown interest in being involved in tennis. Over the years, there were exhibition events held in the country, including the 2022 Diriyah Tennis Cup.
Many Top 10 players competed at the event, which ended with Taylor Fritz lifting the trophy. Fritz defeated Daniil Medvedev in a million-dollar match, taking home $1 million for winning an exhibition event, which is more than the vast majority of ATP tournaments offer.
The financial incentive is one of the reasons why the ATP is interested in this move, even though some players like Andy Murray took a clear stance, saying he wouldn't play in the country.
According to the last report by the Daily Mail, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is now in talks with the ATP's Chief, Andrea Gaudenzi, who recently sent a clear message to everyone interested in buying into the sport.
Gaudenzi stated that tennis is not a video game or a movie, and anyone who would want to become an investor would need to respect the rules of the game.
"You have to preserve something which is almost sacred, the rules of the game. This is not a video game, this is not a movie. There’s many ways to become an investor of the ecosystem. It’s not only about creating a new tour or buying a tournament."
Over the years, the Public Investment Fund has already managed to attract the biggest name in the sports world. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema play in Saudi Arabia's football league, and the PIF got involved also in the golf world.
At the moment, it seems inevitable that Saudi Arabia will become more invested in tennis, with the Next Gen ATP Finals likely marking the first step.
