Prepare for the Saudi tennis takeover

The self-serving ethical blind spots of some of those in charge of running international sport never ceases to amaze. Step forward Andrea Gaudenzi, a former top 20 singles player who now leads the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the global governing body of the men’s circuit.

Gaudenzi recently revealed that tennis officials have been in discussions with Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund on projects including events, infrastructure and technology investment. He described the talks  as ‘positive’, before adding predictable reassurances that any investors had to respect the history of the sport.

Singing the same tune is Craig Tiley, the Australian Open chief. He too had soothing words, purring that any future Saudi investment in tennis is nothing to worry about because they are focused merely on ‘boosting the current structures of the game and not an investment in an alternative option’.