By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, February 28, 2024
The ATP rankings are now a PIF-branded class.
The Saudi-sponsored Public Investment Fund and ATP announced today a multi-year partnership pact.
More: James Blake Q&A
More: Richard Evans Q&A
A primary part of partnership sees the PIF becoming the official naming partner of the ATP Rankings, celebrating players’ jprogress across the season. The name change is evident on the new PIF ATP Rankings page.
The Year-End world No. 1, presented by PIF, will be crowned at the Nitto ATP Finals which will take place in Turin, Italy until 2025.
PIF will partner with ATP Tour events in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing and the Nitto ATP Finals, in addition to the Next Gen ATP Finals, hosted in Jeddah until 2027.
In announcing the partnership, the ATP and PIF said: "Following the launch of ATP’s Baseline program earlier this year, PIF has further committed to develop and unlock new opportunities for young players and player pathway initiatives, providing a significant boost to the game’s next generation of stars.
"The ATP partnership forms part of PIF’s broader sponsorship platform, investing in people, projects and partnerships with an emphasis on the brand’s four pillars: inclusivity, sustainability, youth and technology."
It's the latest case of the pro tours strengthening their relationship with Saudi Arabia.
During the summer of 2022, the PGA Tour announced its plan to merge with Saudi-sponsored LIV Golf. It's the latest sports venture the Public Investment Fund, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, has tapped in moves critics call "sport washing"—an attempt to obscure Saudi Arabia's human rights violations and connection to the 9/11 terrorist attacks with high profile sporting investments.
Human Dignity Trust, an organization that "uses the law to defend the rights of LGBT people globally," has condemned Saudi Arabia for "criminalizing same-sex sexual activity between men and between women."
"Due to the opacity of Saudi Arabia law enforcement, it is not possible to provide accurate estimates of the number of arrests, prosecutions, and executions [of gay people]," Human Dignity Trust said in a statement. "There have been consistent reports of discrimination and violence being committed against LGBT people in recent years, including murder, assault, harassment, and the denial of basic rights and services."
In a press release announcing the partnership today, the ATP and PIF touted their shared aim to "collaborate to elevate the long-term future of tennis. PIF will actively contribute to ATP’s OneVision Strategic Plan which focuses on driving unity, enhancing fan experiences and leveraging scalable growth opportunities across the sport."
"Our strategic partnership with PIF marks a major moment for tennis," Massimo Calvelli, ATP CEO, said "It's a shared commitment to propel the future of the sport.
"With PIF’s dedication to the next generation – fostering innovation and creating opportunities for all – the stage is set for a transformative new period of progress.”
Photo credit: Adam Pretty/Getty