Tennis legend John McEnroe says the game shouldn’t search Saudi funding, calling golf’s PGA Tour hypocritical after it reached an settlement with the Gulf state’s sovereign-wealth fund.
Earlier in June, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and rival LIV circuit, which beforehand engaged in a bitter combat that divided golf, introduced a merger to kind a unified industrial entity.
The new concern will likely be considerably funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
“It looked to me like the PGA were total hypocrites when they cut a deal after they’ve been fighting them,” the seven-time grand slam singles champion instructed ESPN on Wednesday.
The chairman of the ATP Tour, Andrea Gaudenzi, instructed the Financial Times final week he has held discussions with PIF and different potential buyers on initiatives together with infrastructure, occasions and know-how funding.
Critics have accused Saudi Arabia of utilizing high-profile investments to interact in ‘sportwashing’ within the face of heavy criticism of the nation’s human rights document.
The 64-year-old McEnroe stated he was not shocked by Saudi curiosity in a potential funding in tennis, because the nation has been spending closely in different sports activities.
“What about (Cristiano) Ronaldo? He’s being paid a couple of hundred million a year,” he stated.
“They have been buying players in other sports, brought boxing fights, you name it.
“I would not encourage it, the Saudi factor.
“I’m not surprised that tennis is being thrown into the mix after what we saw in golf.
“The folks which are complaining about it, a variety of the folks, are hypocrites as a result of our authorities does business with issues together with tons of different hedge funds, wealth funds, down the checklist, folks that have dealings.”
Australian Open chief Craig Tiley on Tuesday said any Saudi Arabian investment in tennis would not have the same impact as in golf.
Media reviews counsel the nation is bidding to host this 12 months’s ATP Next Gen finals, with world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz saying earlier this week he could be open to competing within the oil-rich kingdom.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
