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. |
Michael Jordan celebrates NASCAR Talladega win with driver Tyler Reddick's son2 brothers condemned to die for the 'Wichita massacre' want a new sentencing hearingDavid Beckham moves wife Victoria to tears with emotional speech at her starAndrew Garfield looks lovedThe culinary game at MLB ballparks has exploded in the past 20 years. Eating healthy is a challengeTraffic resumes near Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange after a fire ruined the 400We're sleep expertsBritain's Got Talent judges are shocked as stuntman's deathJoy Corrigan goes braless under a stunning long lacy pink cardigan and white kneeFlooding wreaks havoc across East Africa. Burundi is especially hard