Saudi Arabia reportedly makes push to merge ATP, WTA with proposed PIF Tour
The GIST: According to The Telegraph, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) wants to merge the WTA and ATP tennis tours with a limited-time, $2B offer that expires in 90 days. The rebranded PIF Tour would reportedly replace the proposed Premium Tour, a joint WTA–ATP circuit that’s been in development since January. A break(ing) point.
- The PIF has already pushed back, telling The Guardian on Wednesday that there is no hard deadline. Sources claim any offers are premature and bristled at the notion that the PIF wants to “buy tennis,” insisting that it wants to be a part of the sport’s “existing ecosystem.”
The details: Instead of creating a rival tour like LIV Golf, the PIF would reportedly co-opt the Premier Tour proposal and fund the ATP and WTA’s interest in a joint tour, notably leaving the four Grand Slams out of the picture. The PIF’s control means it could land a Masters 1000 event early in the season, which the wealth fund has been pursuing for months.
- Sources say ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi first floated the idea at Indian Wells last Saturday, after skipping January’s Australian Open to visit Riyadh and negotiate a multiyear PIF sponsorship. Gaudenzi reportedly also plans on becoming the PIF Tour commissioner, adding extra incentive for him to get a deal done. Everybody’s got a game.
The context: Saudi Arabia has aggressively moved into men’s tennis over the past year, with little pushback. In a matter of months, the nation announced it would host the ATP Next Gen Finals and ATP exhibition matches, later landing the aforementioned ATP branding deal and a shocking Rafael Nadal sponsorship.
- Its foray into women’s tennis has been slowed by criticism, but the PIF has seen recent success. PIF–funded lifestyle brand Kayanee signed world No. 6 Ons Jabeur in January, the PIF is pursuing the BJK Cup, and despite reports of the WTA moving its finals to Charlotte, The Telegraph’s Simon Briggs said it’s an “open secret” that the tour is planning for Riyadh.
Zooming out: If the rumored deal goes through, it would change the face of tennis as we know it. Starting a rival tour was enough to reshape men’s golf, but a deal like this has enough pressure to coerce women’s tennis players to reluctantly participate amid sportswashing and human rights concerns.The PIF has thrown its weight around in women’s sports before and it can do it again.
