Tennis: Saudi ambassador to the United States “pained” by criticism of Evert and Navratilova. The retired players, who each won 18 Grand Slam titles, wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post last week.
Saudi Arabia has been using sport as diplomatic leverage for several years with Formula 1, Moto GP, the LIV golf circuit, football, the Dakar rally and tennis. The conservative kingdom hosted its first ATP tournament in 2023, the Next Gen in Jeddah, and exhibition matches Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka-Ons Jabeur.