Rafael Nadal ‘joined Saudi Arabia’s relentless sportswashing operation’ while WTA warned against taking backward step
Rafael Nadal has become the latest high-profile sports star to be used to “deflect attention from Saudi Arabia’s appalling human rights record” while tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert have urged the WTA not to do business with the country due to their poor human rights record.
Former world No 1 Nadal caused a stir on Monday as the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) announced that he had taken up a role as a tennis ambassador with the Spaniard stating: “It’s a big opportunity to develop the sport in a country which is investing a lot in sport and encouraging younger generations to get into tennis.”
Many tennis fans expressed their outrage as the Gulf kingdom has been accused of trying to hide the country’s poor human rights record by investing millions in sport.
Peter Frankental, the economic affairs director of Amnesty International UK, says Nadal is now part of the “sportswashing operation” as he urged the 22-time Grand Slam winner to “speak out”.
“Rafa Nadal’s new role is just the latest chapter in Saudi Arabia’s relentless sportswashing operation,” he said.
“From tennis to football, golf and boxing, the Saudi authorities have spent billions in their efforts to rebrand the country as a sporting superpower and deflect attention from an appalling human rights record.
“Under the rule of Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi authorities have jailed dozens of peaceful activists, carried out record numbers of executions and brazenly covered up the grisly murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
“Among many disturbing cases, the retired Saudi teacher Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi has been sentenced to death for his peaceful online remarks and the Leeds University student Salma al-Shehab has been jailed for 27 years for tweeting about women’s rights.
“As with other sporting stars taking well-paid jobs in Saudi Arabia, we would urge Nadal to speak out about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, offering an important message of solidarity with the country’s jailed human rights defenders.”
READ MORE: World No 1 Iga Swiatek asked for her views about Rafael Nadal’s controversial Saudi Arabia role
The ATP has already signed a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund as they have awarded the hosting rights for the Next Gen ATP Finals to the country for the next few years with talk that more tournaments and investments could follow.
The WTA is also reportedly in talks with Saudi officials as it has been claimed the Middle Eastern nation could host this year’s WTA Finals.
However, Grand Slam winners Navratilova and Evert wrote an open letter to WTA CEO Steve Simon, WTA Board, WTA Ventures Board and Tournament and Player Councils as they expressed their opposition to any deal with Saudi Arabia.
A letter to Sports Illustrated read: “In light of the WTA Finals potentially being moved to Saudi Arabia, we feel it is essential to speak up now and highlight why we are so concerned.
“The WTA finals is the crown jewel of our tour and we can’t sit back and allow something as significant as this to happen without an open, honest and transparent discussion.
“We fully appreciate the importance of respecting diverse cultures and religions. It is because of this, and not in spite of it, that we believe allowing Saudi Arabia to host the WTA finals is entirely incompatible with the spirit and purpose of women’s tennis, and the WTA itself.”
They added: “Not only is this a country where women are not seen as equal, it is a country which criminalises the LGBTQ community. A country whose long term record on human rights and basic freedoms has been a matter of international concern for decades.
“Taking the WTA finals to Saudi Arabia would represent taking a significant step backwards, to the detriment of the WTA, women’s sports and women. We ask the WTA to give thought to all these considerations.”
