One of the few gay athletes on the WTA Tour, Daria Kasatkina claims she has been “given guarantees” regarding her safety if she will compete in Saudi Arabia. She advanced to the WTA Finals, which will take place in Riyadh for the first time this November, and conclude the season.
Kasatkina declared regarding the issue: “I’ve been given guarantees that I’m going to be fine.”
When asked about the Finals being held in Saudi Arabia during the 2018 Wimbledon, Kasatkina voiced his concerns, stating that the country has many concerning issues. However, following her victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the third round of the Madrid Open, Kasatkina discussed the advantages of bringing the tour’s main event to Riyadh for three consecutive years.
The athlete admitted: “If I qualify, it means that I am top eight in the world – it’s great news for me… We see that the Saudis now are very into the sport, they want to develop the sport. And as long as it allows the people there, and the young kids and the women to actually see the sport – so that they can watch it, they can play it, they can participate in this, I think it’s great.”
Gay Player
Human Rights Watch told BBC last December that homosexuality promotion on the internet had resulted in convictions in Saudi courts, adding that “LGBT people in Saudi Arabia have to practise extreme self-censorship to survive their daily lives”.
The Saudi Tennis Federation’s head, Arij Almutabagani, responded by saying that homosexual players wouldn’t have to behave any differently than they do in cities like Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where WTA events are already held.
“People can behave the way they want to – there is nothing that says you can or you cannot behave. You just have to understand that every country has its rules and traditions,” she said.
Cover Photo: IG
Source: BCC
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