“I don’t know why in the hell tennis would suddenly be let’s talk to the Saudis after the debacle that you’re watching in golf.
“I don’t think that’s something that we should be pursuing. I’m not surprised that tennis is being thrown into the mix after what we saw in golf,” McEnroe said. “I wouldn’t encourage it personally, the Saudi thing. There have also been reports in recent months that the ATP Next Gen Finals will be held in Jeddah later this year, and WTA CEO Steve Simon is also said to have held talks in the country earlier this year.īut tennis veterans McEnroe and Evert - who won seven and 18 major singles titles respectively during their careers - have both said it is not a good idea, with the former calling it a “comical” notion considering the divisive impact the PIF had on golf.
Last weekend ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said the men’s tour had had “positive” discussions with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund about a potential investment. American tennis greats John McEnroe and Chris Evert are both deadset against Saudi Arabian investment in the sport, after reports both the men’s and women’s tour are considering it.
