Saudi Tennis Federation President Arij Mutabagani discusses big year ahead for sport

At the first Grand Slam of 2024, there appeared to be a ceremonial passing of the tennis torch as record-breaking men’s champion Novak Djokovic was beaten in the Australian Open semi-finals by 22-year-old upstart Jannik Sinner, who went on to claim his first major crown.

With Roger Federer and Serena Williams retired, and Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray are tipped to follow in their footsteps this season, the sport of tennis is currently in a state of transition.

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There is some trepidation about the future, of course, but also a sense of excitement at the potential direction of the sport. The latter is a sentiment shared in Saudi Arabia, where tennis has been growing at a frenetic pace over the past couple of years.

Overseeing the sport’s rapid evolution in the Kingdom is Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) President Arij Mutabagani, who began the role in 2021. She has been particularly busy over the past few months.

In October, Saudi Arabia sent its first-ever women’s team to the Billie Jean King Cup, claiming a landmark maiden victory over Iraq. The Saudi team finished sixth place among 14 participating nations in the Asia & Oceania section of Group III, held in Bahrain.

A Saudi tennis delegation also competed at the Asian Games, while two mixed events of the ITF World Tennis Junior Tour took place in the Kingdom for the second successive year.

The most high-profile of all was the hosting of the prestigious Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, where the world’s best Under-20 players will congregate annually until 2027 after a deal was signed last summer.

“Securing the Next Gen ATP Finals for five years was a significant feat because participants are both top-level athletes and young enough to feel relatable in the eyes of the new generation of tennis players in Saudi Arabia,” Mutabagani told Al Arabiya English.

“It is inspirational to see these talented role models up close and also a great introduction to tennis for those Saudis who are just starting to become interested in the game. It was amazing to see how engaged the spectators were.”

It was a similar story when current World No. 1 and No. 2 Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz faced off in an exhibition match in Riyadh in December. The purpose of hosting such events is to raise awareness of the sport and subsequently increase participation, and there is no question that grassroots tennis is currently on an upward trajectory.

“More academies have been opening and there are a lot of projects in the pipeline that include the building of tennis courts,” Mutabagani says. “I think the events that have been happening here have ignited this passion for tennis and more investment is coming in terms of tennis facilities and infrastructure.”

She hopes this will be a positive step in making tennis accessible for more people.

“We are seeing more courts being built at universities, for example, and we’re working with the Ministry of Sport to make them open for the general public – not just students and faculty,” Mutabagani said.

At the professional level, Saudi Arabia has in recent months been linked with the potential hosting of two high-profile professional women’s tournaments: the Billie Jean King Cup, commonly described as the ‘World Cup of Tennis’ and the end-of season Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals.

The latter event has been a source of much debate recently, with legendary ex-players Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert issuing a joint public statement against the event potentially being held in the Kingdom.

This stance was subsequently criticised by current Saudi Ambassador to the United States, HH Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, who played a pivotal role in making participation in sport more accessible and inclusive in the Kingdom before moving into her current diplomatic role.

Princess Reema said the two former players had “turned their back on the very same women they have inspired and it is beyond disappointing”.

She added: “Failing to acknowledge the great progress women have made in Saudi Arabia denigrates our remarkable journey. This not only undermines the progress of women in sports, but it also sadly undermines women, progress as a whole.

“Sports should not be used as a weapon to advance personal bias or agendas or punish a society that is eager to embrace tennis and help celebrate and grow the sport.”

In contrast to Evert and Navratilova, current World No. 6 and three-time Grand Slam runner-up Ons Jabeur has been effusive in expressing her hope that a major women’s tournament can be hosted in Saudi Arabia. Mutabagani is hopeful of further harnessing the influence of the Tunisian star in the future.

“I think Ons can play a pivotal role and she has always been very positive about the prospect of the WTA coming to Saudi Arabia,” Mutabagani said. “We are still exploring how we can possibly collaborate with Ons to help promote tennis, because she is a role model for all girls here and across the Middle East.”

“We are also still very hopeful there will be a big women’s event in Saudi Arabia but nothing has been set yet. Discussions with the WTA are still ongoing, but I am optimistic something is going to happen. Female participation is incredibly important for us.”

Another major boost came in January when 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafa Nadal was announced as a Saudi tennis ambassador with the aim to “promote the development of the sport.” The partnership will include the building of a Rafa Nadal Academy in the Kingdom.

“It is an honor to have him help us and represent all of the great values that he stands for,” Mutabagani says. “The support of the Ministry of Sport has been vital and they understand that creating top facilities and tapping into the training methodology that has made Rafa successful is going to be helpful for us.”

“There will also be a collaboration with the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor (Spain). We will share knowledge and talent. This is another step forward.”

Despite the importance of growing the game at the grassroots level, it is inevitable that Saudi Arabia will also be judged on whether it can produce professional players capable of competing with the very best in the world. But how far away is it from happening?

“That is very tricky to answer because this is a long-term project,” Mutabagani said. “But I think within the next 10 years, hopefully, we can see some top Saudi talents. I’m not talking about competing for Grand Slams, though of course that would be the ultimate aim.”

“Of course, it would be great to see Saudi players competing on the men’s and women’s tours. However, in tennis, there are no guarantees. Kids can be incredibly talented but, as they grow up, they fade away or struggle to improve. Progress is not linear. It is difficult to predict,” she said.

“We are working very hard to build tennis from the bottom up, steadily increasing the number of lower-tier international tournaments to provide recurring opportunities for our own players to compete at a high level within our borders. We are always doing our absolute best to help tennis players in Saudi Arabia improve.”

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