According to Martina Navratilova, she has “no plans” to visit Saudi Arabia, so she won’t be participating in any WTA Finals activity. This comes after a woman’s rights activist was found guilty in the Gulf state, raising further awareness of the WTA’s ruling.
The Guardian reports that in January, Saudi counterterrorism authorities sentenced fitness trainer Manahel al-Otaibi to 11 years in prison for using websites to ‘broadcast or publish news, statements, false or harmful rumours, or the like for committing a terrorist crime’. Al-Otabi was charged by the Saudis with pushing for the elimination of male guardianship and was arrested in November 2022 prior to serving his sentence.
She reshared the development and remarked, “Hmm,” before someone questioned her whether she planned to travel to Saudi Arabia. A fan wrote, “I hope you’re not going there.” “Not at all. Right now, there are no plans for it,” she joked. Given that Navratilova first argued against holding the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia due to human rights and LGBTQI+ concerns that have impacted the region’s reputation, this comes as no surprise.
Others, including embassy representatives, criticized her and Evert and invited them to visit the nation to make their own conclusions. However, it appears that they are declining that invitation. A few months later, the eagerly anticipated news of the WTA’s intentions was revealed, with the finals scheduled to take place in Riyadh until 2027.
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