Rafael Nadal feels his work in Saudi Arabia is doing more good than harm despite claims that it helps the country's government engage in sportswashing.
Nadal became an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation in January of this year and plans to open an academy in the Gulf country in the future.
The reaction to that news has been mixed. Some have no problem with Nadal engaging with Saudi Arabia and helping to grow tennis worldwide, but others feel it is wrong to engage with a regime that has inflicted multiple human rights abuses over the years.
There are also concerns about the effect on tennis of legitimizing the Saudi government after the divisive moves that were taken in golf by the regime to increase its influence in sports.
Although Saudi Arabia's influence in tennis is not as drastic, the ATP and WTA Tours have engaged with the country. The WTA Finals will be played in its capital, Riyadh, while the ATP Next Gen Finals are set to take place in Jeddah.
The most recent Saudi move into tennis was at last week's Six Kings Slam, an exhibition event that featured Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune.
Those six men were undoubtedly attracted by the lucrative financial rewards. Medvedev and Rune received $1.5 million after losing in the opening round, while Jannik Sinner collected $6 million after beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
The players also shared photos and videos of their time in the country on social media. They all seemed to have a great time, and none of them had a bad word to say about Saudi Arabia during or after their stay.
However, that leads to worries that the Saudi regime's human rights violations are going unnoticed since a positive image of the country is being projected to the world.
Nadal responded to those concerns in an interview with AS, saying he respected the opinions of those who are anxious about Saudi sportswashing but also asked that his opinion be respected.
“I say one thing that is simple, and that is that I understand the controversy. What happens is that there comes a certain moment when you can be in one place or another, based on your opinion. I respect all opinions, as long as mine are also respected.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion does not hide the fact that the Saudi government pays him large sums for his work in the country but argues that his presence does more good than harm.
“Do they pay me to come here? Yes. But we must not lose perspective. You come here and what do you think? Are you doing good or bad? Because the only problem in the end is that you get paid for it. Because, really, by coming here, you help the country."
"And those who speak in such a drastic way against the country, very well. So, what do you want? For them to continue being bad, for them to continue keeping the country locked up, with more inequality? There is only one reality.”