Saudi investment in tennis won't replicate golf's woes: Tiley
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[June 27, 2023]
(Reuters) - Australian Open chief Craig Tiley believes any Saudi
investment in tennis is unlikely to have the same impact as the
country's disruptive entry into golf because talks are focused on
bolstering the current structures of the game.
ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi told the Financial Times last week that he
had held "positive" discussions with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment
Fund (PIF) and other potential investors. |
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park,
Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2023 Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis
Australia is pictured in the stands during the quarter final match
between Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas
REUTERS/Carl Recine/File photo |
Talk of a potential partnership comes after the
PIF-backed LIV Golf circuit engaged in a bitter two-year dispute
with the PGA Tour before announcing an agreement to merge and
form one unified commercial entity.
"What's different to what we're seeing (in other sports) is this
is an investment in the current structure of the game and not an
investment in an alternative option," Tiley told reporters on
Tuesday.
"But like everything in the world, there's lots of changes
always going on. So you've got to watch what's going on and stay
close to it.
"But, ultimately, that's a decision for the men's and the
women's tour."
Saudi Arabia has pumped huge amounts of money into sport in
recent years and media reports say it is bidding to host this
year's ATP Next Gen Finals, which feature the tour's top
Under-21 players.
Critics have accused Saudi Arabia of using the PIF to engage in
"sportwashing" in the face of heavy criticism of the country's
human rights record.
Some of the world's top players have already featured in the
Diriyah Cup exhibition event on the outskirts of Riyadh and
world number one Carlos Alcaraz said earlier this week he had
"no doubts" he would compete in Saudi Arabia at some point.
Australia's Nick Kyrgios welcomed the news of the ATP's
discussions on investment from Saudi Arabia and said it would
bring players the financial rewards they deserved.
"Finally. They see the value," he tweeted above a report of the
talks between the Saudis and ATP.
"We are going to get paid what we deserve to get paid. Sign me
up."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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