Browsing: Saudi

Tennis

Saudi Arabia in sport: Is WTA Finals helping affect change?

The WTA agreed a three-year deal for Saudi Arabia to host a tournament which sees the eight leading women’s singles players and best eight doubles teams of the season compete.

This year’s total prize money of $15.5m (£12m) is the largest in women’s sports history, says the WTA.

Many critics claim the investment into top-class sport is a move to gain legitimacy and deflect attention from controversy over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, a practice known as ‘sportswashing’.

While there have been reforms – the ban on women driving, for example, was officially lifted in 2018 – concerns about the kingdom’s suitability to host prominent womenâ€s sport events remain.

“There continues to be gender-based discrimination in most aspects of family life, including in marriage, divorce and child custody,” Fakih told BBC Sport.

The Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) was asked by BBC Sport to address these concerns during the WTA Finals, but did not make any of its officials available for interview.

Campaign group Humans Rights Watch say there is no evidence the WTA’s presence is improving women’s rights in Saudi, pointing to an “absence of action” in cases involving women imprisoned for advocating for change.

Manahel al-Otaibi, a fitness influencer and activist, is serving a five-year prison sentence for tweets supporting women’s rights.

“The Saudi authorities continue to detain my sister while they persist in their charade of whitewashing their image and claiming to empower women in front of Western media,” her sister Fawzia al-Otaibi told BBC Sport.

Al-Otaibi’s other sister Mariam remains under a travel ban, while facing restrictions on her speech and access to government services, according to Humans Rights Watch.

“Seeing human rights defenders who were jailed and are still being imprisoned today – cases which were known before the WTA went in – is a good indicator of the lack of progress,” Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said.

“It’s clear the Saudi authorities don’t feel any meaningful pressure to do anything.”

Muguruza has visited the Kingdom several times since the Finals moved there, going into communities to visit schools and clubs with a focus of attracting more female tennis players.

From these experiences, she says the women she has met are “so happy” the event is taking place on their doorsteps.

Asked if she is fielding concerns about ‘sportswashing’, Muguruza said: “No, I don’t think so.

“That was probably a conversation two years ago or something when people were more unfamiliarised with the sports here, but I think this is over.

“There are so many events here in sports and it has been very successful. I don’t feel that, no.”

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LIV Golf and Saudi PIF intrigue. And Lee Trevinoâ€s top 3

Welcome! Where are you, you ask. I’m calling this the Weekend 9. Think of it as a spot to warm you up for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We’ll have thoughts. We’ll have tips. We’ll have tweets. But just nine in all, though sometimes maybe more and sometimes maybe less. As for who I am? The paragraphs below tell some of the story. I can be reached atnick.piastowski@golf.com.

A new format. A comment by Rory McIlroy on the new format. A comment by Lee Westwood on  Rory McIlroy’s comment. An adjusted qualifying event. A new LPGA tournament. And a few other items, all since Monday, during the first full week of November no less. LIV Golf and its primary backer flooded your news feeds this week, interestingly and undoubtedly so.

Let’s break out another 9 for the 9 to try to make sense of everything.

9 for the 9 headline No. 1: “LIV Golf’s sudden shift from 54 to 72 holes is a major-driven stunner.” (Story here.)

The news: LIV’s format is changing from 54 holes to 72.

The takeaway: GOLF’s Dylan Dethier also wrote about the move here, and I’ll just add these questions:

Will the move make you care more about LIV? Will you be interested that LIV may soon receive world ranking points, which presumably was one of the reasons behind the format change? Will you be interested that LIV pros may have a better pathway to major championships, should they receive the world ranking points? Will you be interested that a few more pros may sign on with LIV, should they receive the world ranking points and thus improved access to majors?

9 for the 9 headline No. 2: “‘Peculiar move:’ Rory McIlroy left with more questions than answers by LIV Golf’s change.” (Story here.)

The news: On Wednesday, ahead of this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, McIlroy said this: “I think what’s hard is you’ve got the LIV guys, and say potentially they get world rankings, but because their strength of fields are going to be so weak because a lot of the guys have fallen already in the rankings because they have not had ranking points for so long, I don’t know if the ranking points are really going to benefit them. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.”

The takeaway: It will be interesting. The OWGR also was revised a few years back, and it now includes a metric called “Strokes Gained World Rating,” which you can read more about here in this story written by GOLF’s Sean Zak.

9 for the 9 headline No. 3: “Lee Westwood jabs Rory McIlroy over comments on LIV Golf’s rules change.” (Story here.)

The news: On talkSport’s Breakfast Show, Westwood said this In response to McIlroy: “I don’t know. I don’t pay too much attention to what Rory says, really. He’ll change his mind next week.”

The takeaway: Ooh!

9 for 9 headline No. 4: “Tyrrell Hatton says LIV pros ‘initially’ rejected format shift in poll.” (Story here.)

Greg Norman and Scott O'Neil of LIV Golf.

With LIV changing formats, what does ‘LIV’ actually stand for?

By:

Dylan Dethier

The news: On Wednesday, ahead of this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Tyrrell Hatton said this: “I think it’s a good thing that LIV have moved to four rounds. I know at the end of my first season, there was a questionnaire that was filled out, and one of the questions was about moving to 72 holes, and I think of everyone that filled it out, I think there was only three guys initially that had said about moving there. I guess that’s changed quite a bit in the last year, and certainly from my standpoint, I’m quite happy that we’ve moved to 72 holes.”

The takeaway: I wonder what changed.

9 for 9 headline No. 5: “‘Checks every box’: New LPGA commissioner makes bold move.” (Story here.)

The news: The LPGA is co-sanctioning an event with the Ladies European Tour, and it will be backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. It will be played at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.

The takeaway: Do you like that the LPGA and new commissioner Craig Kessler are delivering a big-money tournament? Do you dislike that the LPGA and Kessler are doing so with the Saudis (whose human rights record, according to Amnesty International, can be found here)?

9 for 9 headline No. 6: “LIV Golf adds new qualifying route with Q-school tweak.” (Story here.)

The news:LIV Golf will play its qualifying tournament in Florida, moving it from Saudi Arabia.

The takeaway: This should allow for more to enter the event, which will award LIV playing status to two players. But …

9 for 9 headline No. 7: “The PGA Tour has a problem with LIV Golf’s 2026 qualifier.” (Story here.)

The news: The PGA Tour said the LIV qualifier will be deemed as an unauthorized event, meaning players with (and without) Tour status who participate will be penalized. Kudos to Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig for seeking the Tour’s reaction to LIV moving the event.

The takeaway: There’ll be curiosity around the tee sheet, for sure.

9 for 9 headline No. 8: “‘Opportunity to come together’: LIV CEO reveals talks with new PGA Tour CEO.” (Story here.)

The news: While at ​​Sportico’s Invest in Sports Conference, LIV CEO Scott O’Neil says he has had talks with PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp about the future of pro golf. “Generally we have a common view on what could be or should be the landscape of golf over the next several years,” O’Neil said. “There’s an opportunity for the whole golf world to come together and grow this pie.”

The takeaway: But will the golf world come together?

9 for 9 No. 9: LIV is a content machine. And some folks will tell you any news is good news.

Let’s see if we can find eight more items for the Weekend 9.

One takeaway for the weekend

2. In response to a story from financial publication Hunterbrook that alleges Phil Mickelson received inside information on an offshore company, Mickelson tweeted this Friday:

A takeaway from the week that was

3. Who does Lee Trevino rank as his top three golfers of all time — and his best player? He answered that this week on SiriusXM’s “A New Breed of Golf with Michael Breed,” and the audio of his answer is below.

An instruction thought for the weekend

4. The post below, from Dr. Peter Tiereny, was very interesting.

A stat that interests me

5. I thought this stat below from stats guru Justin Ray was good:

Another stat that interests me

6. And I thought this stat below from Ray was good:

One more stat that interests me

7. I also thought this stat below from Ray was good (and yes, you also should follow Ray on X):

A heartwarming thought

8.The story below from ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt was good:

A fall golf trip thought

9. So about my fall golf trip a couple of weeks ago …

As the picture below shows, things went wrong for my friend.

Scorecard
My friend’s scorecard.

Nick Piastowski

What golf is on TV this weekend?

10. Let’s do 10 items! Here’s a rundown of golf on TV this weekend:

– Saturday

10:30 p.m. (Friday) – 1:30 a.m. ET: Toto Japan Classic third round, Golf Channel

2 a.m.-8 a.m. ET: Abu Dhabi Championship third round, Golf Channel

3 p.m.-6 p.m. ET: World Wide Technology Championship third round, Golf Channel

– Sunday

10 p.m. (Saturday) – 1 a.m. ET: Toto Japan Classic final round, Golf Channel

1:30 a.m.-7:30 a.m. ET: Abu Dhabi Championship final round, Golf Channel

3 p.m.-6 p.m. ET: World Wide Technology Championship final round, Golf Channel

What you’re emailing me

11. Let’s do 11 items! I recently got this email, which was in response to the email I posted in a Weekend 9 a few weeks ago (and can be found here):

Thank you for posting the thoughts shared with you on the 2025 Ryder Cup. Not easy to declare the emperor has no clothes when the emperor holds the money spigot.

I have one word to describe my reaction to that email from ‘across the pond’ regarding the fan behavior at the 2025 Ryder Cup.

“Exactly.”

I was embarrassed and angry to read the details of fan behavior. More angry that it was not more roundly condemned by those American golf experts and players ‘inside the ropes.’

Watching professional golf has been, for my entire life, a polite, adult refuge from the vulgarity of most spectator sports. That is in danger of being lost.

There will always be bad actors at sporting events. It is the very nature of the beast to bring those out. (Fan is short for fanatic, after all.) But, please do everything you can to protect golf from the normalization of bad behavior.

A way you can help someone this weekend

12. To start this item, know that Kelan McDonagh saved a golfer.

A year ago, nothing in the player’s game was working, and he had had enough. He sat down in the cart we were sharing and said that if his play didn’t turn around before the end of the golf season, he would quit. And that gave me this thought: We needed to pair my friend with a top instructor and just watch and take notes. Enter McDonagh, the director of instruction at Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson Township, N.J., which is about 60 miles south of New York City. For about three hours, he worked with the golfer, and the golfer left encouraged (and I left with this).

I was thinking of all that this week when I saw that McDonagh had posted about his dad, Larry, who’s battling cancer. And cancer sucks. And cancer care can be expensive, especially in this case. There’s hope, but costs are soaring

Should you be interested in helping at all, a GoFundMe page has been set up, and you can visit it here.

A gambling scandal in golf? And a report on Saudi PIF money

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Welcome! Where are you, you ask. I’m calling this the Weekend 9. Think of it as a spot to warm you up for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We’ll have thoughts. We’ll have tips. We’ll have tweets. But just nine in all, though sometimes maybe more and sometimes maybe less. As for who I am? The paragraphs below tell some of the story. I can be reached atnick.piastowski@golf.com.

I couldn’t tank in golf.

It’s not that I wouldn’t want to, and I’ll go no further with that thought. But I physically couldn’t. I already struggle with hitting and chipping and putting legitimately, so any nefarious actions wouldn’t be too hard to catch. With my swing, there’s a likely chance that an intentional-hook thought might somehow discover a flushed iron shot.

But then there are the pros.

Who miss fairways and greens during a round — and who can also hit targets mostly on demand.

A friend and I were thinking about all that last weekend, when we were talking about the betting scandal that’s rocked the NBA. To quickly sum that up, the Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier has been accused of providing nonpublic information about his plans to leave a March 2023 game early to a friend, who then sold it to bettors for about $100,000. The story made us wonder, then, about whether something similar could happen in pro golf.

If you’re thinking it wouldn’t, there’s hope for you, The PGA Tour has previously promoted safeguards for suspicious bets, and, in the NBA’s case, the amount of bets that came in on Rozier triggered alarms. And there’s also the idea that golfers hold themselves to a high standard. The game, the thought goes, is bigger than any bet.

Or is that naivete?

And think about the lower levels of pro golf, where breaking even financially is aspirational.

I also wonder about the simplicity in which a fan can influence a golf outcome. The game is (mostly) quiet. One well-timed shout, and a tee shot goes left — and a hole bet is cashed. Sure, the fan would likely get booted, but that’s nothing a couple thousand bucks couldn’t soothe. A couple of years ago, Rory McIlroy talked a bit about that, after a fan shouted during a Max Homa putt.

“It is a bit of a slippery slope,” McIlroy said, “because I don’t think there’s any other sport — maybe basketball and you can sit courtside, but it’s a different environment — where people can really affect the play out here.

“As long as it’s policed the right way and as long as there’s measures put in place for things like what happened to Max Homa not to happen. Because we’re all for people out here having a good time and being able to put something on an outcome, as long as they don’t feel like they can come here and influence that outcome. That’s important.”

McIlroy’s right there. You should be able to bet on him, either at a tournament or away from it. And trust that things will be honest.

Of course, the NBA thought that, too.

Let’s see if we can find eight more items for the Weekend 9.

One takeaway from the week that was

2. This week, PGA Tour Champions president Miller Brady made a couple of media appearances following the release of the 50-and-over circuit’s 2026 schedule, and he said his tour is ready for a player who will be age eligible on Dec. 30.

Tiger Woods.

“We’re well prepared,” Brady said on Golf Channel. “We’ve done some white boarding over the past year in preparation for Tiger turning 50, and if and when he plays, our tournaments will be prepared.”

If he plays, it’ll be fascinating to watch the amount of interest.

Question is, does he play anywhere ever again?

Another takeaway from the week that was

3.Also this week, the Grant Thornton Invitational announced its field for the mixed team event, which again gives me the chance in this space to ask that we get a Ryder Cup/Presidents Cup/Solheim Cup-style mixed team event.

Americans vs. Euros. Americans vs. Internationals. Americans vs. the World. Scottie-Nelly vs. Rory-Jeeno. Sounds good.

One more takeaway from the week that was

4. You’ll find no better breakdown of the changes coming to St. Andrews than the one on the video below, from GOLF’s Sean Zak.

The last takeaway from the week that was

5. I’m hooked on the clips I’ve seen of Barstool’s Internet Invitational. I’m thinking about taking the time to watch it all. And my 17-year-old nephew has.

It succeeds at character development. That’s something for pro golf to think about.

One takeaway for the weekend

6. With the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund involved with pro golf through LIV Golf and a still-being-negotiated deal with the PGA Tour, news about the PIF is notable, and various outlets this week reported on its future strategy. In a story written by the Business Times, I thought this was interesting:

The fund is still working out how exactly it will approach international investments, the people said. After the review is complete, allocations to global deals may increase slightly as portfolio companies are expected to become more active as they look to expand overseas, they added.

Since its inception, the PIF has established about 100 companies in sectors ranging from tourism to AI. The goal is to focus on growing firms in six key areas outlined this week by governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, in what he called a “sneak peek” of the investment strategy.

The plan will lean on consolidation to create more companies that are able to raise their own financing and draw in foreign investment, people familiar with the matter said.

You can read the entire story here.

A golf story that interests me

7. The Instagram account @timtagolfs interests me. (And a hat tip to My Golf Spy’s Daniel Polce for first writing about it.)

In short, it documents how Tim Ta has quit his job as an Esports gamer to play golf. The latest post can be found below.

A Halloween costume that interests me

8. The Halloween costume below is great.

A dog toy that interests me

9. Here, Dai Poole of pethelpful.com writes about a golf club set — for your dog.

What golf is on TV this weekend?

10. Let’s do 10 items! Here’s a rundown of golf on TV this weekend:

– Saturday

9:30 p.m. (Friday) – 2:30 a.m. ET: Maybank Championship third round, Golf Channel

7 a.m.-noon ET: Rolex HotelPlanner Tour Series Grand Final third round, Golf Channel

Noon-4 p.m. ET: Hong Kong Open third round, Golf Channel

– Sunday

9:30 p.m. (Saturday) – 1:30 a.m. ET: Maybank Championship final round, Golf Channel

5:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. ET: Rolex HotelPlanner Tour Series Grand Final final round, Golf Channel

10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET: Hong Kong Open final round, Golf Channel

What you’re emailing me

11. Let’s do 11 items! This thought was recently emailed to me. It was in response to the story about golf in a Washington prison, which you can read here.

I recently saw the video on YouTube about the club and it sort of hit home. I’ve never been to jail or prison, but I get what the sport can do. I lost both of my legs in June of 2020 due to a bacterial infection that almost took my life. As my health improved and after a year, I was able to get fitted for prosthetics and begin the tough process of getting back on my feet, as they would say.

During the strenuous journey of physical therapy, golf was suggested for balance. I was never a real golfer before — I maybe went 3-4 times a year with some friends — so I was starting off with a limited skill set. I began with just the driving range 1-2 times a week, which turned into 5-6 times a week. I “stood” there for hours working on my balance that first summer. By the next summer, I was standing still in one spot without moving around. It was huge in terms of balance as a bilateral transtibial amputee. This isn’t a note to boast about myself; this is to say how golf was the thing to help me. I actually related to the inmates in the sense of focus and drive to want to be better not just at golf but in life. I don’t have any tattoos, but people see my legs first before they see me. I now shoot mid-40s for nine holes and I keep working on it.

Tennis

Saudi Arabia to host new ATP Masters 1000 tournament from 2028

It is more than eighteen months since bidding invitations were issued to Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Australia, with the decision to choose Saudi one of the worst kept secrets in the sport.

A 10th Masters event was always envisaged but – until the rules were changed in a vote earlier this year – would have had to be staged in either the first week of the year or on grass before Wimbledon.

Now, though, it could take place any time, and is expected to be staged in February, when the ATP already visits the Gulf region for events in Doha and Dubai.

But the ATP is not confirming that publicly because the date is guaranteed to upset someone.

Staging the tournament in Saudi Arabia in the first week of the year would be considered a hostile gesture by Tennis Australia, as most of its leading men would no longer play in the country in the lead up to the Australian Open.

Scheduling it in February could divert players away from traditional clay court events in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, and European indoor tournaments like the one in Rotterdam.

One favoured solution is to create two streams of February tournaments – one in the Middle East and the other in South America – with the European events moving to later in the year.

It is not yet known how much prize money the Saudi tournament will offer, but the ATP sets a minimum prize money for all Masters 1000 events.

Next weekâ€s Paris Masters, which also has a 56-man field, is offering the minimum of 6,128,940 euros (£5,328,338).

Tournaments are allowed to pay more in prize money – as long as the increase is distributed evenly throughout the draw.

The Indian Wells Masters this year offered an extra $500,000 (£374,650), but it is rare for Masters 1000 events to offer more than the minimum required.

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Tennis

Saudi Arabia set to host new ATP Masters 1000-level event

Oct 23, 2025, 06:50 AM ET

The ATP is launching a new Masters 1000-level event in Saudi Arabia, the tour announced Thursday.

Working with SURJ Sports Investments, part of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the tournament is set to debut on the tennis calendar as early as 2028. Saudi Arabia currently hosts the year-end WTA Finals and ATP Next Gen Finals.

The new Masters tournament marks the PIF’s latest foray into tennis. The fund is the official naming partner of the world rankings for both the ATP and WTA and has partnerships with various marquee events, including Indian Wells and Madrid. The PIF is also the sponsor for the WTA’s newly launched maternity leave program.

The Middle Eastern country has faced widespread criticism for human rights violations. Critics contend Saudi Arabia has engaged in sportswashing and used the country’s wealth to invest in global sports initiatives to improve its reputation on the world stage. Prior to the WTA announcing it would hold the year-end finals there, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova expressed their opposition in a 2024 opinion piece for The Washington Post, writing that it “would represent not progress, but significant regression.”

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ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, in a statement Thursday, called the new tournament a “proud moment” for his organization.

“[This is] the result of a journey that’s been years in the making,” Gaudenzi said. “Saudi Arabia has shown a genuine commitment to tennis — not just at the professional level, but also in growing the game more broadly at all levels. PIF’s ambition for the sport is clear, and we believe fans and players alike will be amazed by what’s coming.”

The specific timing of the Saudi Arabia event was not announced, same for the host city and venue. It will be the ATP’s 10th Masters tournament — the highest level of tennis events outside the majors — and the first to be launched since the category was introduced in 1990.

ATP players with a ranking that would allow for direct entry are currently required to play in eight of the nine Masters 1000-level tournaments, with exceptions for injury. Monte Carlo, played in April, is the only Masters event that is not mandatory.

Many players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, have voiced concerns about the length and intensity of the globetrotting season, in addition to the extended format (from one week to 12 days) of several 1000-level events. The addition of another mandatory tournament on the men’s tour could be met with mixed reaction.

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Dazn targets rights for Champions League in latest football move involving Saudi Arabia | Champions League

Dazn is preparing to bid for global broadcasting rights for Champions League games from 2027 in another significant move into football by Saudi Arabia.

Saudiâ€s Surj Sports Investment bought a 10% stake in Dazn for $1bn (£746.94m) in February, two months after the streaming platform agreed to pay the same sum to Fifa for exclusive global rights for the Club World Cup. Dazn claimed an audience of 2.7 billion for the Club World Cup, a figure understood to relate to total views rather than individual viewers, and social media engagement of 10bn using the same metric. Encouraged by these figures, Dazn wants global rights for the Champions League, the main innovation in Uefaâ€s Champions League tender process for the 2027-31 cycle, which was launched this month.

Uefa has made a global rights package available for the first time, with the winning platform getting the first pick of the Tuesday game in each match round to stream in every market. The joint venture that unites European Football Clubs (formerly the European Club Association) with Uefa, UC3, is understood to value the single game global rights at about £440m a year, about 10% of its valuation for all the Champions League matches. That would make the four-year rights worth about £1.76bn.

The tender process, run by the US-based Relevent Sports, has been designed to attract offers from streaming companies such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney+, but Dazn is also intending to bid, despite this year walking away from its TV rights deal in France and seeking to renegotiate its deal in Belgium.

Dazn is one of the few companies with the technology and worldwide reach to make a success of global streaming, with its 63-game live coverage of the Club World Cup passing off without problems. Viewing figures were modest in England, despite Dazn sublicensing many of the matches to Channel 5, but there were notable successes elsewhere, particularly in Brazil, with Fifa reporting that 131 million people watched the tournament there, 62% of the population. According to analysis conducted for Fifa by the data company Nielsen Sports, 28 million and 24 million people watched the Club World Cup in Italy and Spain respectively, reflecting the fact that Dazn is well established in those countries, in part because it has live rights for Serie A and La Liga.

Daznâ€s interest in the Champions League comes at a time when it appears to be reducing its investment elsewhere. One source at the company said the directive from the owners, Sir Len Blavatnikâ€s Access Industries and Surj, is to make the company profitable. Another source claimed Dazn had been told to cut costs after the Club World Cup but that Blavatnik and Surj are prepared to sanction big investment for major events such as the Champions League.

As part of an attempt at savings, Dazn informed the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium a fortnight ago that it intended to renegotiate its five-year $440m live rights deal after a few months because it had failed to negotiate a carriage deal with a traditional broadcaster. As a result, Belgian league games are not being shown on television and are available only via the Dazn app.

Dazn terminated its contract for Ligue 1 after one season in a similar fashion this summer owing to disappointing subscriber numbers in a move that will lead to savings of about €1.5bn (£1.12bn) over the next four years. Although Dazn paid a termination fee of €100m, the company will make major savings by walking away from contractual payments that began at €375m in the first year and were due to rise to €500m in the final season.

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Such moves have helped Dazn cut costs after it had been losing billions since launching in Europe and Asia in 2018, having begun as a combat sport-based platform in the US. The companyâ€s 2024 accounts published this month showed its losses had reduced from $1.4bn to $936m, with the chief executive, Shay Segev, saying it would be profitable by 2026 and that the aim was to become “the Spotify of sportâ€.

Dazn declined to comment.

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WWE

UNC GM Michael Lombardi Traveled to Saudi Arabia to Fundraise Before CFB Season

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On Thursday, journalist Pablo Torre reported that North Carolina general manager Michael Lombardi traveled to Saudi Arabia in August to fundraise for the program.

Later in the day, UNC vice chancellor for communications Dean Stoyer confirmed as much to Brendan Marks and Christopher Kamrani of The Athletic.

Stoyer called it an “exploratory fundraising trip” and said it came “at the invitation of the Saudis,” per that report. It was not funded by university or athletic department funds but rather by the Saudi government, and it did not result any sort of agreement, though Marks and Kamrani reported it was unknown if further communication has taken place.

Per that report, “Lombardi’s trip is not the first time in recent years that North Carolina has explored alternative revenue streams to subsidize its athletic department. According to public records obtained by The Athletic, athletic director Bubba Cunningham had several meetings in 2023 with private equity firms ‘regarding all things college athletics, revenue generation, and conference realignment,’ according to one email thread. Cunningham and UNC ultimately opted not to move forward with any such negotiations after preliminary discussions.”

Marks and Camrani also noted that Colorado assistant coach Trevor Reilly bankrolled his own trip to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Dubai last year to seek out potential foreign state investors.

The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund has continued to involve itself in athletics across the globe, bankrolling LIV Golf and owning the English Premier League’s Newcastle United, among other ventures. It is also buying video game company Electronic Arts, alongside two other investors, for $55 billion.

The PIF’s various entries into the world of sports has come under heavy criticism, however, for being a sportswashing program aimed at sanitizing Saudi Arabia’s human-rights violations.

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Nick Khan Calls Saudi Arabia WrestleMania a “Natural Next Step†in WWEâ€s Global Evolution

World Wrestling Entertainment is making history by taking its flagship event, WrestleMania, to Saudi Arabia in 2027, marking the first time WrestleMania 43 will be held outside of the United States or Canada. WWE President Nick Khan discussed the landmark decision at the JOY Forum 2025 in Riyadh, emphasizing the companyâ€s commitment to becoming a truly global brand.

A Natural Evolution for WWE

Speaking at the forum, Khan described the Saudi Arabia partnership as an organic progression for the companyâ€s international strategy. “It was a natural next step for us,†Khan stated. “In WWE, we realized a number of years ago that we canâ€t simply pipe American product out globally and hope to be a global product. You actually have to have boots on the ground.â€

This philosophy has already transformed WWEâ€s event calendar. According to Khan, approximately half of the companyâ€s Premium Live Events now take place outside of the United States, reflecting a deliberate shift toward international engagement rather than simply broadcasting American content worldwide.

The move to Saudi Arabia follows another historic milestone: the Royal Rumble in January 2026 will also be held in Saudi Arabia, marking the first time that event has taken place outside North America.

Building on Strong Relationships

Khan emphasized that WWEâ€s decision-making process is fundamentally relationship-driven, particularly highlighting the companyâ€s long-term partnership with Turki Al-Sheikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabiaâ€s General Entertainment Authority.

“WWE had received a number of different offers from entities outside of the US, and to me, as I try to help lead the company, itâ€s all about relationships,†he explained. Khan praised the partnership with Al-Sheikh as one built on mutual trust and direct collaboration.

The negotiations proved remarkably smooth. “When Turki expressed interest in having it here, we got together for a couple of different meetings, worked out the deal in short order, and had the good fortune of announcing it the day before Canelo-Crawford, our first fight together in Las Vegas,†Khan revealed. He described the process as respectful and productive, with both sides quickly finalizing the agreement.

A Star-Studded Spectacle in the Making

WWE is approaching this historic WrestleMania with significant confidence and ambition. “Weâ€re excited. We think viewership is going to be strong. We think people will come to the Kingdom to see our show and weâ€re going to put on a spectacle,†Khan said, emphasizing the companyâ€s commitment to delivering a spectacle-level show that will attract global fans to Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi partners are reportedly pushing for the “most star-studded show ever,†with speculation about potential appearances or matches from legendary figures. Reports suggest that Dwayne “The Rock†Johnson is being heavily pursued for a main event role, potentially facing either Cody Rhodes or Roman Reigns. Other legendary names like “Stone Cold†Steve Austin have also been discussed for the historic event.

Why 2027?

The timing of WrestleMania 43 holds special significance for Saudi Arabia. According to reports, WWE originally wanted to host the event in 2028, but Saudi Arabia pushed for 2027 to celebrate the 300-year anniversary of the founding of the first Saudi state, making the event part of a broader national celebration.

Nick Khanâ€s Leadership Vision

Under Khanâ€s leadership, WWE has experienced unprecedented global expansion and financial success. Since joining the company in 2020, Khan has been instrumental in negotiating major media deals and expanding WWEâ€s international footprint. His philosophy of prioritizing relationships and maintaining “boots on the ground†in key markets has proven successful, with the company regularly breaking attendance and revenue records.

The companyâ€s optimism appears well-founded, given Saudi Arabiaâ€s demonstrated enthusiasm for major sporting and entertainment events. The Kingdom has been actively pursuing high-profile international events as part of its Vision 2030 initiative to diversify its economy and establish itself as a global entertainment destination.

Looking Ahead

WrestleMania 43â€s expansion to Saudi Arabia represents more than just a business deal—it signals WWEâ€s evolution from an American wrestling promotion to a global entertainment powerhouse. By prioritizing on-the-ground presence over simple content distribution, WWE is betting that authentic international engagement will build lasting connections with fans worldwide.

As the 2027 event approaches, all eyes will be on whether this bold move sets a new standard for how major entertainment properties expand their global footprint. With the Royal Rumble 2026 serving as a precursor to this historic WrestleMania, WWE and Saudi Arabia are poised to reshape the landscape of professional wrestlingâ€s biggest stages.????????????????

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Table Tennis

Umpire Invitation for WTT Youth Contender Dammam, Saudi Arabia

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Deadline : 25 October 2025 (Saturday)

The Event Organiser invites International Umpires to officiate at the forthcoming WTT Youth Contender Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

The event will commence on 10th and will conclude on 12th December.

It is an open invitation, therefore not all submissions may be accepted.

Only online nominations submitted by bona fide National Associations will be considered.

Each Member Association can nominate up to 2 umpires

AUT – ARE – Evaluations will take place.

Full hospitality will be provided from dinner on the day before the event starts to breakfast on the day after the event ends.

All invited umpires must organize their transport to the region as well as travel and medical insurance. In addition, all invited umpires are responsible for early arrival and late departure. Local transport will be provided from and to King Fahad International Airport (DMM)

Should a nominated umpire require a visa, kindly send relevant details after the selection (full name as in passport, date of birth, place of birth, passport number, expiry date of passport) to logistics@sttf.saÂA letter of invitation will be provided. Please note that all costs associated with the visa application are the responsibility of the applicant and the issuance of a visa is at the sole discretion of the relevant Consulate or Embassy.

Each umpire will receive a daily allowance by LOC, per competition day:

Gold Badge Umpires: 70 USD

Blue Badge Umpires: 70 USD

Blue Badge Umpires in Progress: 65 USD

White Badge Umpires: 65 USD

In case of a day off the LOC shall pay 50% of the daily allowance

The closing date for nominations is 25th October 2025.

You are kindly requested to carefully read the instructions and then complete the details via the online form

Thank you for your kind cooperation.

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Machado & Meyers talk WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia, AI in wrestling and entertainment, childhood movies, more (90 min.)

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

SHOW SUMMARY:In this episode of PWTorch Dailycast series “Acknowledging WWE,” Javier Machado and Mike Meyers acknowledge:

  • The Saudi Arabia WrestleMania
  • AI in wrestling and entertainment, the ethics of resurrecting dead wrestlers for “dream matches”
  • Javier remembers Peter Cushing’s name this time
  • Perfect Blue
  • Cody vs. Seth – a champion vs. champion match with some actual intriguing build
  • Vaquer vs. Tiffany – a champion vs. champion with much less intriguing build
  • Styles vs. Cena – a match with some build on social media I guess???
  • Cena’s rumored final opponent
  • Peacemaker vs. Green Arrow at WrestleMania 43
  • Ripley & Iyo vs. Asuka & Kairi – the glorious soap opera
  • Reigns vs. Reed, part 2
  • The Jey Uso saga – a true sequel to the Bloodline story
  • LA Knight is doing good for himself
  • Charlotte and Bliss and the Curse of the Women’s Titles
  • “Police Academy” and other (sometimes inappropriate) childhood movies
  • …and more

FREE VERSION:AUDIO LINK

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