Gay tennis star given Saudi Arabia ’guarantees’

One of the few openly gay players on the WTA Tour, Daria Kasatkina, says she has been assured about her safety if she qualifies for the season-ending WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia.

The WTA Finals will be staged in Riyadh for the first time this November, with the 26-year-old Russian in contention to qualify.

Human Rights Watch told the BBC that Saudi courts had convicted people for promoting homosexuality online.

Speaking at the Madrid Open after her third-round victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Kasatkina said she has no qualms in travelling to the Middle Eastern country, which secured the end of season tournament for the next three years.

"I've been given guarantees that I'm going to be fine," the world No.11 said.

"If I qualify, it means that I am top eight in the world - it's great news for me.

"We see that the Saudis now are very into the sport, they want to develop the sport. And as long as it gives the opportunity to the people there, and the young kids and the women to actually see the sport - so that they can watch it, they can play it, they can participate in this, I think it's great."

When questioned at Wimbledon last year, Kasatkina expressed uncertainty about the Finals going to Saudi Arabia - saying there were "many issues concerning this country".

WTA chief executive Steve Simon said members of the LGBTQ+ community were included on fact-finding trips to Saudi Arabia, before the deal for the WTA Finals was concluded.

Arij Almutabagani, the president of the Saudi Tennis Federation, said gay players did not need to act any different in Saudi Arabia than they do in places like Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

"People can behave the way they want to - there is nothing that says you can or you cannot behave. You just have to understand that every country has its rules and traditions," she said.

"It's the same thing that has happened in Dubai. How do they act in Dubai? We are the same, we are all neighbours. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE - how would the players behave there?"

Tunisia's world No.9 Ons Jabeur also voiced her support for the Saudi tournament.

"As an Arab woman, I'm very proud some things are moving there in Saudi," she said in Madrid.

"Like Princess Reema said: you should come to Saudi, be there, and judge yourself.

"For me, it always has been about chances, and going there not just to play tennis matches but to give the opportunity especially for younger women to see their role models and to believe that they can achieve anything." (Wide World of Sports)