"I don't feel it's right for me to get involved with politics" - Cameron Norrie defends his participation in controversial Diriyah Tennis Cup
Cameron Norrie is facing criticism for passively encouraging 'sports washing' in Saudi Arabia after he signed up to take part in the Diriyah Cup that's set to take place in the Middle East nation. Saudi Arabia has come under scrutiny for spending huge amounts of money to bring various international sports to the country, with tennis the latest.
The World No. 14, however, has defended his participation in the event, saying that it was not his responsibility to be involved in politics and that his duty as a professional tennis player was to take part in tournaments and play matches against the best players in the world.
"I don't feel it's right for me to get involved with individual government politics. My job is to be a professional tennis player and this event in Saudi allows me to train with some of the best players in the world," Cameron Norrie stated, via BBC.
Human rights organization Amnesty International stated that players like Cameron Norrie taking part in tournaments in a country like Saudi Arabia with deplorable human rights records are positively influencing public opinion of the country.
Felix Jakens, Amnesty International UK's Head of Priority Campaigns, believes that it is the responsibility of top players to speak out about human rights issues and bring about positive changes in the future.
"With Saudi Arabia currently throwing sizeable bundles of money at everything from golf and Grand Prix, to boxing and football, it's really important that top sporting figures use their high profiles to speak out about Saudi human rights abuses. We would like to see any player who agrees to compete in Diriyah refusing to be passively used for sports washing by speaking out on human rights issues," Felix said.
Cameron Norrie joins Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev for Diriyah Cup
Cameron Norrie joins the likes of World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev and Germany's Alexander Zverev at the Diriyah Cup in Saudi Arabia, where he will be hoping to gain momentum and confidence heading into the new season. The exhibition tournament is set to kick off on December 8 and will field 12 players in both singles and doubles events across three days.
Various top-ranked players have grabbed the opportunity to play at the Diriyah Cup ahead of the 2023 season. After a shocking second-round loss to Alex de Minaur at the Paris Masters, Medvedev will be hoping to regroup and find his touch before the turn of the year.
Zverev, on the other hand, is returning from a horrific injury to his right elbow. With the injury putting the German out of action for the past five months, the Diriyah Cup will be a huge occasion to get some much-needed game time.