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. |
Defense chiefs from US, Australia, Japan and Philippines vow to deepen cooperationPosition switch back in high school pays off for Seahawks' firstAverage longJAN MOIR: It was right that Richard Gadd told his story in Baby ReindeerPregnant Lea Michele shows off her baby bump in cropped sweater and leggings for walk with 3Colombia breaks diplomatic ties with Israel but its military relies on key IsraeliUS jobs report for April will likely point to a slower but stillFrancisco Lindor shakes off illness, comes off bench to rally Mets past Cubs 7Washington adds four assistant coaches including Tony Bland, who was part of 2017 FBI probeColombia breaks diplomatic ties with Israel but its military relies on key Israeli