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With PIF reportedly exiting LIV Golf, is tennis next
TL;DR
PIF is reportedly ending its involvement in LIV Golf by year's end. This raises questions about the future of its influence in other sports, particularly tennis.
Key points
- PIF is reportedly ending its involvement in LIV Golf.
- LIV Golf has faced controversy since its launch in 2022.
- PIF has also been involved in professional tennis for five years.
Mentioned in this story
PIF
LIV Golf
PIF is reportedly ending its involvement in LIV Golf by the end of the year.
LIV Golf, which lured away some of the world’s best PGA golfers with huge sums of money, has been riddled in controversy since it began in 2022. However, golf is not the only sport with heavy PIF influence.
In the past five years, PIF has immersed itself in professional tennis. Are those relationships in jeopardy also?
MORE: Where is former WTA World No. 1 and Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka
How PIF became entwined in ATP and WTA Tours
PIF stands for the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. It has been in existence since the 1970s.
On the ATP and WTA Tours, PIF is the naming partner for the player rankings, updated weekly throughout the 11-month tennis season.
PIF will host its first ATP Masters 1000 level tournament in Saudi Arabia beginning in 2028. The Six Kings Slam, an ATP exhibition also held in Saudi Arabia, featuring six of the top names in tennis, concluded its second year in 2025 with a record setting purse of $6 million. (Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Sinner in both the 2024 and 2025 editions.)
Since 2024, the WTA Finals are played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, that relationship is ending after the 2026 edition. The WTA reportedly will move the 2027 event to a yet to be disclosed location believed to be in either Europe or North America.
PIF’s involvement in tennis has been controversial especially on the WTA side because of the reported treatment of women in Saudi Arabia. Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were among those who questioned the WTA decision to partner with PIF to host the WTA Finals.
Q&A
Why is PIF exiting LIV Golf?
PIF is reportedly ending its involvement in LIV Golf due to ongoing controversies surrounding the league since its inception in 2022.
What impact will PIF's exit from LIV Golf have on tennis?
PIF's exit from LIV Golf raises concerns about its relationships and influence within professional tennis, which it has been involved with for the past five years.
Which top golfers were lured to LIV Golf by PIF?
LIV Golf attracted some of the world's best PGA golfers with substantial financial incentives, although specific names are not mentioned in the excerpt.