The WTA nearly held the 2023 Finals in Saudi Arabia before moving them to Cancun, Mexico.
For upcoming competitions, the WTA is still thinking about relocating the season-ending event to Riyadh.
This would “represent not progress, but significant regression” for the sport, according to Navratilova and Evert.
The two, who ruled women’s tennis in the 1970s and 1980s, called the WTA Finals the “crown jewel” of the women’s circuit in an opinion piece for the Washington Post.
They demanded that the governing body hold a “open, honest discussion” to investigate “whether ‘progress’ and ‘engagement’ is really possible” in the Gulf state, criticizing the WTA Board for failing to consult players about the proposed move.
Is Saudi Arabia hosting women’s tennis ‘right’?
Events are allegedly being used by Saudi Arabia to “sportswash” its image.
Due to the state’s reputation for abusing women and violating human rights, it has come under heavy international scrutiny. In recent years, boxing, Formula 1, and golf have all faced criticism for hosting events in the nation.
“Taking a tournament there would represent a significant step backward, to the detriment not just of women’s sport, but women,” Evert and Navratilova said.
