With the WTA Finals, the first professional women’s tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia, round the corner (November 2-9) Riyadh residents have got the opportunity to experience tennis at WTA Community Clinics led by veteran players.

Hosted by former World No 1 and WTA Finals Tournament Director Garbiñe Muguruza, and WTA Community Ambassador Judy Murray, the WTA returned to the capital to train the rising stars of Saudi tennis.

The star duo is also working alongside the coaches of the Saudi Tennis Federation and local academies to advance the sport’s development programmes.

In addition to visits to the Net Tennis Academy and the British International School Riyadh, Muguruza and Murray also spent time with members of the Zahra Breast Cancer Association, sharing life experiences to connect through the power of the game.

The WTA Finals Riyadh is part of the STF’s strategy to inspire 1 million people into tennis by 2030, by creating more opportunities to play, follow and watch tennis at all levels. This follows the sport’s rapid growth in the kingdom, with over 14,000 female players already playing the game.

In her role as WTA Community Ambassador Murray said she was delighted to see the progress being made in the kingdom towards empowering new players to take up the game and further youth development in the sport.

“The kids' clinics are all about teaching them and having fun, trying new skills, and leaving with smiles on their faces.

“It's rewarding to see the children embrace the experience. We also enjoyed the fact that we’ve given the coaches fresh content and techniques to further develop their training programmes in the future.

“Bringing the WTA Finals to Riyadh extends beyond showcasing incredible tennis; it's about empowering the community. Our visits to schools, sports centres, and special needs groups allow us to tailor community engagement initiatives alongside the tournament.”

The 2024 WTA Finals Riyadh features the top eight singles players and doubles teams on the PIF Race to the WTA Finals, competing in a round-robin format with the singles champion lifting the WTA Finals Billie Jean King Trophy and the doubles champions earning the WTA Finals Martina Navratilova Trophy.

During her return to the capital as part of the countdown to the WTA Finals Riyadh, Muguruza said: “We are just weeks away and it’s really exciting to be this close to the big event.

“So much work has gone into the planning and it’s a great feeling to be back, working with the kids on their game and meeting the people who are helping develop tennis in Saudi Arabia.

“There’s a lot to look forward to in November and we cannot wait for the tournament to get started.”

WTA World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and 2024 US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka were among the first qualifiers for the season-ending event, with the final spots to be confirmed across the remaining events of the 2024 season.

The world’s best tennis players will compete in the season-ending championships in Riyadh in November, making history as the first professional women’s tennis event to take place in Saudi Arabia.

It is the first of a three year-partnership between the WTA and Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) and offers fans a week of world class sport and entertainment.

Tickets are now on sale for the WTA Finals Riyadh. – TradeArabia News Service