Rima bint Bandar al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, said she was "deeply offended" by an article published in The Washington Post in which former tennis stars Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova criticized the WTA for wanting to hold the final of The round tournament in Saudi Arabia.
It has yet to be decided where the top women's tennis tournament will be held, but the stars of the past strongly opposed the idea of Saudi Arabia winning the honor.
They noted the "gender inequality that remains deeply entrenched in Saudi law" and other human rights concerns, including the criminalization of LGBT people.
Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert accused of 'turning backs on women' by Saudi ambassador https://t.co/I8B3Ic1DWD
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 30, 2024
The Saudi ambassador posted a response on social media, saying she was "deeply offended" by the article and that it ignored the progress made by women in Saudi Arabia.
"Navartilova and Everett turned their backs on the women who inspired them and that is beyond disappointing," she wrote.
Sport is a key component of Prince Mohammed's economic and social reform agenda.
Lately, the attention has been going to tennis, after Rafael Nadal recently signed a contract as the ambassador of the country's sport.
While some see the initiative as an attempt to distract from human rights abuses, Princess Rima, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington, said Tuesday the opposite.
According to her it is "part of a comprehensive plan to be the best version of ourselves".
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Chris Everett, Photo: Getty
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