An agreement was reached between the WTA and Saudi Arabia for a three-year period to host a competition where the eight top-ranked female singles players and the eight highest-ranked doubles teams of the season will participate.
According to the WTA, this year’s total sum of prize money, amounting to $15.5m (£12m), represents the largest financial reward in the history of women’s sports.
Numerous critics suggest that this investment in elite-level sports is an attempt to acquire legitimacy and divert attention from controversies surrounding Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, a practice often referred to as ‘sportswashing’.
Although some reforms have been implemented – such as the official lifting of the ban on women driving in 2018 – questions persist about the appropriateness of the kingdom hosting prominent women’s sporting events.
“Gender-based discrimination continues to be prevalent in many areas of family life, including issues related to marriage, divorce, and child custody,” stated Fakih in an interview with BBC Sport.
BBC Sport requested the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) to address these concerns during the WTA Finals, but the STF did not provide any officials for an interview.
The campaign group, Humans Rights Watch, claims that there is no evidence to suggest that the WTA’s presence is contributing to improvements in women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing a “lack of action” in cases involving women who have been imprisoned for advocating for change.
Manahel al-Otaibi, a fitness influencer and activist, is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for posting tweets in support of women’s rights.
“The Saudi authorities are continuing to detain my sister while simultaneously engaging in a charade to whitewash their image and falsely claiming to empower women in the eyes of Western media,” her sister, Fawzia al-Otaibi, informed BBC Sport.
According to Humans Rights Watch, Al-Otaibi’s other sister, Mariam, is still subject to a travel ban, and also faces restrictions on her freedom of speech and her access to government services.
“The fact that human rights defenders who were jailed, and remain imprisoned today – cases which were already known before the WTA’s involvement – serves as a clear indication of the absence of progress,” stated Minky Worden, the director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch.
“It’s evident that the Saudi authorities do not feel any significant pressure to take any meaningful action.”
Since the Finals were relocated there, Muguruza has visited the Kingdom on numerous occasions, engaging with communities through visits to schools and clubs with the intention of attracting more female tennis players.
Based on these experiences, she indicates that the women she has encountered are “so happy” that the event is taking place in their local area.
When asked if she is addressing concerns about ‘sportswashing’, Muguruza responded: “No, I don’t believe so.”
“That topic was probably relevant two years ago, or at some point when people were less acquainted with sports here, but I think that issue is now resolved.”
“There are numerous sporting events taking place here, and they have been very successful. I don’t perceive that concern, no.”
