Saudi subtlety is out the window after reports the uber-solvent sheiks are offering a cool $US 2 billion to take over tennis by funding the ATP and WTA Tours.
London’s Daily Telegraph broke the bombshell, with British tabloid media quickly filling the details.
The vast financial temptation is expected to ignite a firestorm of controversy with the tennis “family,” noted for decades as one of the most dysfunctional in all of world sport.
The Saudi take-it-or-leave-it offer is said to expire in 30 days; British media report that Wimbledon wise men have thrown their weight behind the money-spinner.
The takeover is the latest in the Saudi offensive to dominate much of global sport, with inroads already well established in golf, Formula 1 and football.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) apparently wants to establish a so-called “Premium Tour” which would cover ATP and WTA events.
Division among tennis godfathers could have already started, with ATP boss Andrea Gaudenzi reportedly only revealing news of the potential financial windfall to Masters 1000 officials at a meeting in Indian Wells after representatives of the four Grand Slams had left the room.
Among the Saudi strings attached to the massive investment would be establishing a Masters in the desert kingdom to be played in early January, completely wrecking he curated Australian summer of tennis which culminates with the Open during the second half of the month.
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