Tennis star defends Saudi Arabia's rise in sport amid major investment - 'It is inevitable'

Saudi Arabia is presently playing big to the Six Kings Slam which offers the biggest monetary terms successful the sport's past arsenic the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic look off

Tennis prima Casper Ruud believes it is 'inevitable' that Saudi Arabia volition play a important relation successful the aboriginal of tennis.

The Middle East federation has progressively grown its illustration successful planetary athletics with their nationalist concern money launching LIV successful golf, investing successful Newcastle United and person announced partnerships with some ATP and WTA tours, portion a disputed £1.5billion connection to bargain the tours was rumoured.

Regardless, this week sees Riyadh hosts a tourney including the world's champion players. Retiring Rafael Nadal is successful enactment for a £4.6million pay-out if helium tin triumph conscionable 2 matches successful the Six Kings Slam.

The Spaniard joins Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune successful a three-day event. The contention volition not connection ranking points arsenic it is unsanctioned, but the six players volition beryllium guaranteed £1.15m successful a tourney that carries the biggest prize purse successful the sport's history.

Former tennis prima Andy Murray has described the lawsuit arsenic an 'exhibition tennis lawsuit that cipher cares about'. Before retiring the Scot had turned down opportunities to play successful accumulation matches successful Riyadh for millions, owed to the quality rights grounds of Saudi Arabia.

Norwegian world No.9 Ruud has turned down opportunites to play successful the past but has defended the country's existent attack to tennis. The 25-year-old believes the federation volition play a important relation successful the sport.

“Obviously they person a batch of money, and I cognize what I americium going to accidental volition astir apt beryllium described arsenic sportswashing, but it seems to maine that their caller person Mohammed bin Salman wants to bash thing and particularly a batch of things successful sport," Ruud told SpilXperten.

“He wants to, maybe, alteration the state and possibly marque it a spot much westernised. Athletes going determination could pb to a change, who knows?

“I cognize that I mightiness look precise naive saying this, due to the fact that radical volition conscionable accidental that's sportswashing covering what is really going on. But if they ne'er started anywhere, I americium not definite determination would ever beryllium a change. If you privation to commencement with sport, I deliberation it is thing that different mediate eastbound countries person done, you know, welcoming sports radical and occidental civilization to their country, similar Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Somewhat besides Doha successful Qatar.

“Let's see. I americium definite it volition beryllium much and much successful the future, and determination are besides a batch of rumours connected the ATP circuit if determination is going to beryllium an other tourney successful Saudi Arabia. I person chosen not to spell truthful far, but it seems to maine that it is inevitable, that they volition someway beryllium large successful tennis successful the aboriginal and they already person the Next Gen Finals, truthful let's spot what the aboriginal brings.”

Ruud besides highlighted that tennis has problematic relationships with different countries presently connected the tour. “I didn't get an connection from the Six Kings Slam, but I person had offers successful the past, and I person chosen not to go," helium added.

"It is evidently a arguable state successful presumption of galore things, but determination are different countries that are arguable arsenic good that we spell to and play in.

“You tin decidedly sermon China and quality rights successful China, but we spell determination each year. There was a batch of speech astir Peng Shuai and what happened to her, and it's conscionable to accidental that if you privation to enactment Saudi Arabia arsenic a arguable country, determination should beryllium different countries arsenic good that should beryllium mentioned and we don't notation those.”