WTA star ‘given guarantees’ about her safety in Saudi Arabia
World No 11 Daria Kasatkina has revealed she has been “given guarantees” that she will be safe in Saudi Arabia, should she ever play in the country.
One of the most high-profile LGBTQ+ figures in tennis, Kasatkina is in contention to qualify for this year’s WTA Finals, which will be held in Riyadh for the next three seasons.
The six-time WTA titleist – who previously qualified for the year-end championships in 2022, when it was held in Fort Worth – has previously expressed reservations about playing in the Arab state.
But, speaking to BBC Sport at the Madrid Open, the former world No 8 said she had been given assurances about playing in any tournaments held in the country.
She said: “I’ve been given guarantees that I’m going to be fine.
“If I qualify, it means that I am top eight in the world – it’s great news for me.
“We see that the Saudis now are very into the sport, they want to develop the sport. And as long as it gives the opportunity to the people there, and the young kids and the women to actually see the sport – so that they can watch it, they can play it, they can participate in this, I think it’s great.”
The announcement earlier this month that the WTA Finals would be held in the Saudi capital had long been expected and has undoubtedly attracted controversy.
Read More: WTA Finals venue finally confirmed in announcement likely to divide tennis
Human rights groups have long expressed concerns about increasing Saudi involvement in tennis and across all sports, with particular concerns flagged about the treatment of women and the LGBTQ+ community.
Former world No 1 Martina Navratilova has been among the most vocal critics of the move and doubled down on her condemnation after the official announcement.
“We’re going to Saudi Arabia which is about as big a change as you can make except for maybe going to North Korea,” said Navratilova.
“One of the comments I heard, one of the players said they ‘don’t want to be political’. Going to Saudi is about as political you can get. Welcome to sport.
“We’re a bit egotistical to think we can make a difference but who knows? Maybe this is a good thing, we’ll see how this goes.
“The players have to honour that, they’re the ones competing. We’re not affected by it. We’re not going there to play.”
Saudi involvement in tennis continues to grow and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Rumours swirl about a future Masters 1000 event in the country, while the Public Investment Fund (PIF) currently sponsors the ATP Rankings.
The ATP Next Gen Finals are also currently held in the nation, while the likes of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will play an exhibition there this November.
