ＷＴＡファイナルズ、今年はメキシコ開催で決定　サウジは落選

【ニューヨークＡＦＰ＝時事】女子テニス協会（ＷＴＡ）は７日、シーズン最終戦のＷＴＡファイナルズについて、メキシコの人気リゾート地カンクンで１０月２９日から１１月５日にかけて開催されると発表した。シングルスの年間上位８人およびダブルスの同８組で争われる同大会の開催地をめぐっては、サウジアラビアが筆頭候補と報じられていた。（写真は２０２２年のＷＴＡファイナルズを制したキャロリン・ガルシア〈資料写真〉）
　ＷＴＡによると、大会の開催地については関係者が「プロセスを通じ、名乗りを上げてきた多くの候補地を検討」した上で、「選手のロジスティクス、渡航の利便性、会場の収容人数、女子テニスへの支援や大会の見せ方など複数の要素に基づいて」決定したという。
　ＷＴＡファイナルズは近年開催地が定まっておらず、昨年は米テキサス州フォートワースのディッキーズ・アリーナで行われた後、今年もここまで場所が決まっていなかった。
　ＷＴＡのスティーブ・サイモン最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）は６月、「難しく、挑戦的」な議題であるとしつつ、ＷＴＡファイナルズの開催地としてサウジアラビアを「検討している」と述べていたが、マルチナ・ナブラチロワ氏やクリス・エバート氏ら女子テニスの伝説的選手からは、反発の声が上がった。
　サウジアラビアは近年、スポーツイベントに巨額の資金をつぎ込んでおり、一部では人権問題を覆い隠す「スポーツウオッシング」だと批判されている。
　一方、男子プロテニス協会（ＡＴＰ）は先月、ネクストジェネレーション・ＡＴＰファイナルズについて、２０２７年までサウジアラビアのジッダで開催すると発表している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/09/08-16:41）

Cancun will host the WTA Finals October 29-November 5, the WTA announcing Thursday the Mexican resort would stage the season ending tournament after reports that Saudi Arabia was front-runner to land the event.
The WTA said in a statement that officials weighed a number of competitive bids throughout the process and made a decision based on multiple factors including player logistics, travel accessibility, venue capacity and a commitment to supporting and showcasing women's tennis.
The prestigious year-end finale features the top eight singles players and doubles players in the WTA's Race to the WTA Finals.
The news comes after another year of uncertainty as to the location of the Finals, which was held at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, last year.
WTA chief Steve Simon said in June the organization was evaluating the possibility of taking a tournament to Saudi Arabia, while describing the subject as difficult and challenging.
Recent reports had said Saudi Arabia was in pole position to land the event, which sparked criticism at the US Open from US legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert among others.
I would prefer the WTA not go to Saudi Arabia, Evert said at an ESPN media event before the US Open.
Obviously they have the human rights issues and everything, just the way they treat women. I would be against it. But I don't have a vote.
Saudi Arabia has lavished hundreds of millions of dollars on sporting events in recent years as part of a strategy critics describe as sportswashing.
Last month Jeddah was confirmed as the venue for the ATP NextGen series until 2027.
Some current WTA players, however, including Tunisian Ons Jabeur and American Jessica Pegula, said they thought a tournament there could be part of a push to improve women's rights in the kingdom.
Instead, the tournament returns to Mexico for the second time in three years, after Guadalajara hosted in 2021.
China's southern city of Shenzhen had a record-breaking deal to stage the event for 10 years, starting in 2019, when singles champion Ashleigh Barty's prize of $4.42 million was the highest ever awarded to a player at any tennis event men's or women's.
But the Covid-19 pandemic and the WTA's boycott of Chinese venues over concerns for the safety of Chinese player Peng Shuai have meant the Finals have not returned to Shenzhen since.
The WTA is set to return to China in September with a 250-level event in Guangzhou and the elite 1000-level China Open in Beijing.