LONDON: World number one Iga Swiatek said Saturday she is ready to “play wherever the WTA decides” after Saudi Arabia emerged as a controversial potential host on the women’s tour.
The Saudis have been increasing their global reach in recent years despite accusations of attempting to “sportswash” their human rights record.
“Basically I’m kind of still waiting for some official information that is going to come out because it’s hard to know what is the rumour and what’s not,” said Swiatek on Saturday as she prepared for Wimbledon.
“I’ll be ready to play wherever the WTA decides we’re going to play.”
WTA chief executive Steve Simon said his organisation is evaluating the “challenging topic” of taking the sport to Saudi Arabia.
The country has been linked with hosting the flagship end-of-season WTA Championships.
“It’s a very difficult and challenging topic that is being measured by many groups right now,” Simon told reporters at a WTA event in London on Friday.
“In February I went to Saudi Arabia to see it for myself. We took a couple of players and some reps as well. We wanted to see what the change was.”
Swiatek, the reigning US Open and French Open champion, has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Although the 22-year-old Pole admitted she hasn’t thought about the potential pitfalls of Saudi Arabia, she believes she and her peers can have an influence on any decision.
“I was more thinking what I can do as an individual player. For sure we as a community, I feel like we have some power, we could use that,” she said.
As well as the Saudi interest in women’s tennis, ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi has said the men’s tour has had “positive” discussions with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund about a potential deal.
That announcement drew criticism from tennis legends John McEnroe and Chris Evert.
The Saudis have been signing up veteran football stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to play in their domestic league and are bankrolling English club Newcastle.
They also brought shockwaves to golf with its financing of the rebel LIV series.
Meanwhile, Swiatek, fresh from lifting a third French Open, insisted she is confident of mounting a Wimbledon challenge despite a bout of food poisoning which forced her to pull out of the Bad Homburg event on Friday.
“I’m okay. I had a really bad night. We did with my conditioning coach like measurements in the morning,” she explained.
“They didn’t really look good because I barely slept. I had a stomach ache, but I don’t know if there was something wrong or not.
“Later in the day I felt okay, so I’m pretty sure it’s going to be fine.”
Swiatek is due to face China’s Zhu Lin in the first round at the All England Club where she has yet to get past the last 16.
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