Beware the Ides of March…Madness

The GIST: New attempt at sportswashing just dropped: Saudi Arabia has reportedly offered to invest $2B to unite the WTA and ATP Tours, the latest effort by the oil-rich country to steer attention away from their atrocious human rights record through sport.

The context: With the WTA in financial trouble, conversations about merging with the ATP in a new Premium Tour model picked up steam recently — especially as top women’s players openly criticize their governing body.

• Now, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund’s (PIF’s) alleged offer extends the WTA Tour a much-need financial lifeline in exchange for hosting important tournaments like the WTA Finals — something former and current players are expressing serious discomfort with.

• What’s more, PIF’s offer reportedly comes with a time-sensitive deadline: the WTA allegedly has just 90 days to decide on the proposed deal.

What they’re saying: In January, women’s tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert spoke out against the WTA’s involvement in Saudi Arabia, decrying the move due to the country’s repressive laws against women and criminalization of the LGBTQIA+ community.

• According to The Athletic, other unnamed players on the WTA Tour also disapprove of the proposed plan to hold tourneys in Saudi Arabia, so a phone call between top names in the women’s game and Saudi Arabia’s Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud to discuss the country’s treatment of women is reportedly in the works.

Zooming out: The PIF already inked a multi-year partnership with the ATP Tour in February, alongside signing Saudi Tennis Federation ambassador, 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal. But an investment of this magnitude would permanently reshape tennis for men and women, much like LIV Golf’s arrival impacted that sport in 2022.

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⚽ NWSL Challenge Cup: San Diego Wave FC vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC — Tonight at 8 p.m. ET — Prime Video

• The regular season kicks off tomorrow, but the revamped one-game-only Challenge Cup takes the stage tonight, featuring the 2023 Shield-winning Wave and the defending champion, new-look Bats. Golazos on deck.

🎓🏀 NCAA basketball: Conference tournaments — Today through Sunday — Various channels

• The road to Selection Sunday continues with a whole bunch of teams still hoping to land their conference’s automatic bid and avoid keeping their fingers crossed for an at-large nod come Sunday. Hoop yeah.

🎓🏒 NCAA women’s hockey: National tournament quarter-finals — Tomorrow starting at 2 p.m. ET — ESPN+

• The puck dropped on the 11-team tourney yesterday and now eight squads remain in the hunt for a ticket to next weekend’s Frozen Four.

🏒 PWHL: New York vs. Minnesota — Tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET — YouTube

• There’s a three-way tie atop the league standings, but Minnesota could gain an, ahem, edge, when they host last-place New York. Ice, ice, baby.

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