LONDON — A senior tennis official has launched a scathing critique of the sport's ranking system, suggesting that world number one Iga Swiatek and world number two Aryna Sabalenka should be stripped of their ranking points for their participation in a lucrative exhibition event in Saudi Arabia.
The official in question is Salah Tahlak, the Joint Chief Executive of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and Tournament Director of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. His comments, made to The National, strike at the heart of a growing tension between the traditional tennis calendar and the increasing financial pull of exhibitions, particularly those hosted in the Gulf region.
The Riyadh Season Cup Controversy
The flashpoint for Tahlak's criticism was the "Riyadh Season Cup," an exhibition match held in October 2023 in the Saudi capital. The event featured a one-off clash between Swiatek and Sabalenka, the sport's two dominant players, who reportedly earned seven-figure appearance fees for their participation. The match, which Swiatek won, was not sanctioned by the WTA and offered no ranking points.
Tahlak's argument is rooted in the principle of tour integrity. He contends that by accepting such massive paydays for unofficial events that directly compete with the WTA's own schedule, top players undermine the value of the tour's ranking system and its tournaments. "If you are getting this money, you should not keep your ranking points," Tahlak stated bluntly.
He elaborated that the current rules create an unfair advantage, allowing stars to reap enormous financial rewards outside the tour structure while still benefiting from the prestige and seeding advantages their WTA ranking points provide at official events. "You cannot have it both ways. The ranking points are for participating in the WTA tour, not for exhibitions," he asserted.
The Broader Gulf Tennis Landscape
Tahlak's comments are not made in a vacuum. They come amid a period of significant investment and strategic maneuvering in Middle Eastern tennis. The region hosts several prestigious WTA and ATP tournaments, including those in Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. These events operate within the tour's framework, paying substantial fees and offering ranking points.
The rise of Saudi Arabia as a new financial powerhouse in sports, however, presents a direct challenge. By offering appearance fees that dwarf official prize money, Saudi exhibitions can lure top players away from tour commitments or into scheduling conflicts. Tahlak warned that this trend could destabilize the entire ecosystem. Key concerns he and other tournament directors have raised include:
- Devaluation of Tournaments: Official events risk becoming less attractive if players can earn more elsewhere with no competitive consequence.
- Player Burnout: An overcrowded calendar, packed with both tour and exhibition events, jeopardizes player health and performance.
- Erosion of the Ranking System: If points are not truly reflective of a player's commitment to the tour, their legitimacy is questioned.
"We are investing in the tour," Tahlak emphasized, referring to the Gulf's established tournaments. "We pay a high fee for the WTA product. We support the tour. So when something happens outside of the tour that affects it, we have to speak up."
The WTA's Stance and Player Response
The WTA has rules governing player participation in non-sanctioned events, primarily focused on conflicts with tour tournaments. The Riyadh exhibition did not directly clash with a WTA event, placing it in a regulatory gray area. A WTA spokesperson, when contacted for comment, typically reiterates that players are independent contractors free to participate in off-week exhibitions, provided they fulfill their tour commitments.
Neither Swiatek nor Sabalenka has publicly responded to Tahlak's specific call for point stripping. Historically, players defend their right to play exhibitions, citing them as valuable opportunities for fan engagement, personal promotion, and, undeniably, significant income generation. The financial disparity between tour earnings and exhibition payouts is a persistent point of contention within the sport.
This incident echoes past debates, such as when Novak Djokovic and other top men faced criticism for playing the Saudi-funded Diriyah Cup exhibition during the off-season. The core issue remains the same: the tension between tour loyalty and individual financial opportunity.
A Growing Rift and the Road Ahead
Salah Tahlak's provocative stance highlights a growing rift within tennis administration. On one side are traditional tournament organizers and some officials who view the tour as a sacrosanct structure that must be protected. On the other are players seeking to maximize their earnings in a short career and new market entrants with deep pockets looking to buy influence in the sport.
The situation is further complicated by the WTA's own financial challenges and its ongoing search for a permanent home for its season-ending finals. Saudi Arabia has been frequently mentioned as a potential host and investor, making any outright condemnation of Saudi-backed events diplomatically delicate for the tour's leadership.
Moving forward, the sport's governing bodies may face increased pressure to clarify and potentially strengthen rules around exhibitions. Options could include:
- Mandatory "off-week" declarations for certain exhibitions.
- Financial disincentives, such as fines or point penalties, for playing unsanctioned events that conflict with tour interests.
- Formalizing a system where exhibitions can be sanctioned in exchange for a fee that supports the tour.
Conclusion
While it is unlikely the WTA will retroactively strip Swiatek and Sabalenka of their points, Salah Tahlak's forceful intervention has ignited a crucial conversation. The call to action is clear: tennis must find a sustainable balance between honoring its traditional competitive structures and adapting to a new economic reality. "The tours need to step up and protect their product," Tahlak concluded, framing the issue as an existential one for the sport's established order.
As exhibition offers from Saudi Arabia and other regions continue to proliferate, the tours will be forced to decide whether to integrate, regulate, or resist. The decisions made in the coming months will significantly shape the future landscape of professional tennis, determining the true value of a ranking point and the power balance between the tour, its tournaments, and its stars.