Saudi Arabia to stage first international tennis event

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is to stage its first ever international tennis tournament, a men´s exhibition event, the country´s top sports official said on Tuesday.

Swiss three-time Grand Slam winner Stanislas Wawrinka and rising star Daniil Medvedev are two big names already signed up to appear in the eight-player December 12-14 hardcourt event.

“Hosting world class international tennis in Saudi Arabia for the very first time is another watershed moment for the Kingdom,” said Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, chairman of the General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia.

The $3 million tournament is being staged in Diriyah on the outskirts of Riyadh, the venue for the world heavyweight title rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr on December 7.