"People say you have to mix politics and sport, but sport is like no man's land" - Holger Rune's mother Aneke speaks out on ATP embracing Saudi Arabia
Holger Rune's mother Aneke has shared her views on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosting ATP events.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia made major inroads into men's tennis as the country hosted the ATP Next Gen Finals in the city of Jeddah. During the off-season, the country invited Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, the two top-ranked ATP players, for the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup.
Recently, the '6 Kings Slam' has also been announced. The exhibition tournament is scheduled to take place in October 2024 and will feature Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Rafael Nadal, and Aneke's son, Holger Rune. The winner of the tournament will reportedly bag a staggering sum of $6 million.
Rune's mother Aneke recently featured as a guest on The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast. During its latest episode, she was asked about her opinion on ATP and Saudi Arabia's growing closeness.
"What I think about it is that I think it's a country that really wants to get into sports, which I think for the world is a good thing. " Aneke said (22:46)
Holger Rune's mother also refused to look at the situation from a political lens. She added:
"A lot of people say you have to mix politics and sport, but in my opinion, sport is like no man's land. It's like you can be German, you can be Russian, you can be French, you can be man, woman, whatever you want to be, and you do the sports...
"...I like actually the idea that sport is in every country, I do. I think it brings us together on another level and creates an understanding. We do not have to like all countries, or dislike, but sport brings people together, and it's positive."
Despite Holger Rune's mother's stance, the discussions have turned political on the WTA side
Saudi Arabia's ambitions of making major investments in tennis aren't restricted only to the men's side. There is a lot of talk surrounding the country potentially hosting the WTA Finals as well. This has set tongues wagging, with Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert being the staunchest critics of the prospect.
In an open letter acquired by Sports Illustrated last month, Navratilova and Evert voiced their concerns about Saudi Arabia hosting the event. The duo believes that the WTA should distance itself from the idea due to Saudi Arabia's women's rights record along with its stance towards the LGBTQ+ community.
Navratilova and Evert also criticized the idea in an opinion piece they wrote for The Washington Post. However, the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur have seemingly welcomed the idea of Saudi Arabia hosting women's tennis events.
Sabalenka and Jabeur were also part of the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup alongside Djokovic and Alcaraz. At the 2024 Australian Open, Sabalenka spoke positively about her experience of playing in the country.
"I expected something different. They treated us really well. It was a really amazing atmosphere in the stadium. They really like tennis."
Sabalenka also compared her experience in Saudi Arabia to how she felt at Cancun, where the 2023 WTA Finals were held.
"The level of hospitality was definitely way, way, way better than it was in Cancun."