In recent years, Saudi Arabia has made significant investments in global sports, using high-profile tournaments and international partnerships to bolster its global image. Tennis is the latest sport to be targeted in what many call a calculated effort at “sportswashing“—using sports to divert attention from human rights abuses, including limits on free speech, women’s rights, and labor practices. Although Saudi leaders openly embrace this strategy, critics argue that its influx of capital into international sports serves as a smokescreen for the ongoing repression within its borders.
Saudi Arabia’s investment in tennis, like its other sporting initiatives, showcases the country’s deep pockets and willingness to secure influence on the global stage. By hosting prestigious tennis tournaments, Saudi Arabia benefits from positive media coverage and can present itself as a modern, progressive state. However, human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, criticize these ventures, arguing that they obscure systemic issues like the jailing of dissidents, restricted civil freedoms, and gender-based discrimination. Hosting tennis events also gives international legitimacy to a regime that critics say continues to silence opposing voices.
In a rare admission, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently stated that he would continue investing in sports, acknowledging its strategic role in reshaping Saudi Arabia’s global perception. For him, these investments are not just about economic diversification, but also about strengthening Saudi influence and soft power. While economic reasons exist, these sports projects allow Saudi Arabia to build goodwill in the international arena, even as it faces scrutiny over internal policies. This openness about sportswashing indicates a state-led strategy to leverage soft power through sports.
Saudi Arabia’s actions in sports, including tennis, signal a broader trend among wealthy nations aiming to offset negative attention through strategic investments. Observers worry that international sports bodies, enticed by the financial incentives Saudi Arabia offers, may overlook or minimize the country’s human rights issues. Some officials, however, advocate for engaging with Saudi Arabia under conditional agreements to promote gradual reforms. Whether such interactions yield real change or simply reinforce existing systems remains to be seen.