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. |
What to expect in Georgia's state primariesMost of the US contingent advances to Saturday at the BMX racing world championshipsSan Jose defender Bruno Wilson's fine and suspension rescindedShanna Moakler, 49, poses in a bikini on her exConservative media personality appointed to seat on Georgia State Election BoardXi, Putin sign, issue joint statement on deepening ChinaJudge says South Carolina can enforce 6Chinese lawmakers to deliberate various law drafts at upcoming sessionChina, Pakistan pledge to enhance pragmatic cooperation in various fieldsA list of pro golfers to be arrested during a tournament