Saudi Arabia’s increasing prominence in international sports has caused serious concern about the integrity of international sporting organizations and the values they purport to uphold. The latest news that the ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournament will take place every year in Saudi Arabia from 2028 is another addition to what many have dubbed a global “sportswashing” effort—an effort by the Saudi regime to clean up its image using high-profile sports instead of actual human rights changes.
Sportswashing: The New Face of Authoritarian PR
Over the past decade, Saudi Arabia has poured over $6.3 billion into global sports, a staggering figure that includes investments in football, golf, boxing, Formula 1, and now tennis. This isn’t mere enthusiasm for sports development; it’s a calculated strategy to rebrand a nation whose global image remains marred by executions, gender inequality, and suppression of dissent.
It’s not about marketing tennis to host an ATP Masters 1000 event—the highest level below the Grand Slams. It’s a matter of cleaning up an image. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which finances much of these deals, is personally run by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the same person U.S. intelligence has accused of approving the killing of journalist **Jamal Khashoggi** in 2018.
When international sporting organizations—whether FIFA, the ATP, or the International Olympic Committee—are accepting Saudi billions, they send one message loud and clear: money over morality.
Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Record: A Stadium Built on Suffering
And though the ATP brands the new Masters event as a “proud moment,” one has to question—proud for whom? The same country carrying out almost 300 individuals in 2025 alone, including child offenders** and political activists? Saudi Arabia is, as per Amnesty International, one of the world’s top five executioners with modus operandi mostly being public beheadings.
Freedom of expression? Zero. Women’s rights? Still heavily curtailed despite cosmetic reforms. Activists such as Loujain al-Hathloul who fought for the ability to drive, were imprisoned and tortured. Political dissenters vanish into thin air.
In what moral universe can a country that incarcerates women for posts on Twitter be considered appropriate to host the world’s largest sporting event?
The Sports Takeover: From Tennis to Football
Saudi Arabia’s hold on sport has become uncomfortably stranglehold:
- Football: The Saudi Pro League spent **more than $900 million** in 2023 on player transfers, signing stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to stratospheric salaries.
- Golf:The PIF-backed **LIV Golf** The tour shook up professional golf with massive paychecks, prompting a merger with the PGA Tour.
- Boxing & F1: High-stakes title bouts and the Formula 1 Grand Prix now regularly occur in Jeddah, with the regime employing these events to divert attention from abuses at home.
- Tennis: The ATP’s most recent agreement, in collaboration with SURJ Sports Investments—affiliated with PIF—solidifies Saudi Arabia as a new tennis global hub, further embedding sportswashing methods.
Each new agreement isn’t progress—it’s propaganda.
Why FIFA’s Choice to Award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia Is Hazardous
FIFA’s decision to award Saudi Arabia hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup is not merely controversial—it is a compromise of the sport’s ethical foundation. The choice was largely uncontested, with FIFA establishing a timeline that had bids coming only from Asia and Oceania, paving the way for Saudi Arabia.
Let us not forget the ethics of Qatar 2022—where more than 6,500 migrant workers were allegedly killed in preparation for the World Cup. It’s no different in Saudi Arabia. Human Rights Watch documents **systemic exploitation of migrant workers**, such as unpaid salaries, stolen passports, and forced labor—problems deeply ingrained in the kingdom’s **kafala system.
If Saudi Arabia constructs stadiums under such circumstances, how many more lives will be sacrificed for the sake of spectacle?
Silencing Dissent Through Glamour
Through the signing of events like the ATP Masters and the WTA Finals, Saudi Arabia is seeking to mainstream its image globally. But domestically, dissent is answered with savage repression.
In 2023, a Saudi man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for criticizing the government on the internet. In 2024, a woman received a 27-year sentence for social media posts. This is the same government that is now rolling out red carpets for tennis greats and sports heroes.
When Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz compete on Saudi soil, they won’t be playing only as athletes—they’ll be unknowingly promoting a government that suppresses its own people.
The Ethical Dilemma for Sports Bodies
The ATP’s rationale that players can “choose” to play in Saudi events is an empty excuse. Choice does not excuse complicity. International sporting associations have a moral obligation to prevent their vehicles from being used by such human rights violators.
The very same ATP that used to take a stand for player well-being and integrity is now embracing a government that deprives millions of fundamental freedoms. As Andrea Gaudenzi, chairman of the ATP, called the Saudi expansion “a proud moment,” one cannot help but wonder: when did profit turn into pride?
The World Must Draw the Line
Granting Saudi Arabia the 2034 FIFA World Cup sends the wrong message—that countries can purchase redemption, however sordid their history. If sport is used as a cover for oppression, it loses its very essence.
This is not about politics; it’s about principles. When the world comes together for the World Cup, it must be in celebration of humanity, justice, and equality—and not in an endorsement of cruelty.
If FIFA, ATP, and others keep facilitating Saudi Arabia’s sportswashing effort, the fans, players, and international community must step in. Boycotts, petitions, and grassroots pressure have succeeded in the past—they can do so again.
Ban Saudi Arabia from Hosting FIFA World Cup 2034
Saudi Arabia’s increasing presence in world sport—now reaching into tennis with the new ATP Masters 1000 tournament—is not a tale of advancement but one of manipulation. Behind every new tournament, every sponsorship agreement, and every press conference is a calculated attempt to redefine reality.
The 2034 FIFA World Cup should not be another propaganda platform. Until Saudi Arabia stops executions, releases political prisoners, safeguards women’s rights, and amends its labor laws, it must not host international sporting events.