With the announcement of Garbine Muguruza as the tournament director of the WTA Finals Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has also revealed its ambitious tennis development plans for the next six years. The Middle Eastern country aims to inspire one million Saudis to get active and start playing the sport by 2030.
The WTA Finals Riyadh is a cornerstone of the Saudi Tennis Federation’s (STF) efforts to boost tennis participation and growth across Saudi Arabia. Since 2018, over 100 international sports events have been held, drawing in 2.6 million fans as part of the Ministry of Sport’s initiative to encourage active and healthy lifestyles.
Arij Mutabagani, President of the STF, emphasized the significance of the event: “It’s important the world sees that our tennis ambitions go far beyond hosting. We want to get on court and play. We want to inspire our people to fall in love with the game, to compete, to create new growth and connect to the sport globally. That’s why our pledge is important as we want to get rackets in hands in our communities and schools so that many first steps are taken as a result of the tournament.”
