WTA Finals might be a big deal for the top-ranked players participating in it but not so much for the Saudi fans, it seems. Despite the likes of Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Aryna Sabalenka featuring in the roster, most of the matches are witnessing empty stands. Now, a former WTA pro has shared a stark reality over the worrying situation in Riyadh.

For those unaware, Riyadh is going to be the main venue for the WTA Finals from 2024 to 2026. This decision was taken following a multi-year deal between Saudi Arabia’s PIF and WTA. The goal is to promote women’s tennis across the globe by attracting new fans. Sadly, this objective has taken massive a hit. It’s because of the dwindling numbers of the crowd. The tournament, which began on November 2nd, has struggled to excite the local fans. Simply put, there seems to be no enthusiasm for tennis among the people in Riyadh.

While giving her take on this serious issue, former player and Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs recently shared her unfiltered thoughts. In one of the latest episodes of The Rennae Stubbs Podcast, she criticized the choice of venue after seeing empty stands despite a star-studded line-up. “When I look up at the stands and I don’t see a full stand, I have a problem with that. And as much as these players are making a s**t ton of money, OK, and because of the Saudi influence in this situation, I don’t understand the optics of why we think that that’s a good look for the WTA, in general, of being in a place like this, but also just not having the support,” Stubbs said.

According to Stubbs, the lack of crowd in Riyadh might be due to the economic conditions in Saudi Arabia. “People that live in this country are either unbelievably wealthy or incredibly poor. The incredibly wealthy people are mostly, if not all, men. They are not going to be pounding down the doors to go and watch women’s tennis. And of course, the poor are working. They have no time to go and watch tennis and pay, even though you heard that there’s tickets being sold for $8,” said Stubbs while expressing her disappointment towards a lackluster attendance in the WTA Finals.

Meanwhile, another former tennis pro, Tim Henman, believes that choosing Riyadh as the main venue was a mistake.

Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek not proving enough to pull a large crowd

According to the former ATP player Tim Henman, the WTA Finals should have been shifted to a different location. He said, “If we move past that and just look at this WTA Finals as an event, it’s extremely disappointing when you’ve got the world’s best players – Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff – performing in front of a crowd like that today.” 

Henman implied that star players like Gauff and Swiatek deserve a better venue. One, where the stands are packed with avid sports fans. Riyadh, on the other hand, hasn’t delivered on this front whatsoever.

Per the latest claims, the tickets for WTA Finals were priced at as low as $8.66. Obviously, it was done to improve the attendance during matches. However, this strategy seems to have failed miserably after a constant absence of fans.

It will be intriguing to see if the officials at WTA will look to change the venue next year. Yes, there’s a huge cash prize involved for the participating players in Saudi Arabia. But one can’t deny the fact that the fans’ attendance also matters. What do you think about it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.