Coco Gauff's moment of glory was hard-earned. She had to fight numerous battles: Indifferent form, inner demons, Riyadh's sweltering heat and a rampaging opponent in China's Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen.
The 20-year-old American displayed guts, gumption, and mental fortitude to come from 2-0 and 5-3 down in the final set to clinch the WTA Finals trophy a fortnight ago.
The triumph was a cataclysmic moment in tennis. Gauff walked home with an eye-popping $4.8 million in prize money-the largest sum awarded in women's sports and the highest earned by any tennis player, male or female, at a professional event.
Last month, world's top ranked male tennis player Jannik Sinner laughed his way to the bank, pocketing $6 million by winning the Six Kings exhibition tournament, which was staged in Riyadh.
These events underscore Saudi Arabia's vaulting ambitions to reshape the tennis landscape, with the oil-rich kingdom's deep pockets and strategic investments playing a key role in the sport's evolving narrative. And the vaulting ambitions are not confined to tennis.
This weekend, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise honchos will be jetting off to Jeddah for the mega IPL auction. Next year will see the Saudi Cup, a $20 million horse race, followed by the fifth consecutive Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix, further illustrating Saudi's unstoppable march in the world of sports.
"Sports is a multi-billion-dollar charm offensive," Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed ibn Rashid AI Maktoum, prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and Emir of Dubai since 2006, once said. Through sport, he believes he can improve the region's image and reduce its dependence on oil by driving tourism.
Neighbouring petro-states such as Qatar and Bahrain have also invested staggering sums to usher in a galaxy of sporting stars to their region.
Ronaldo, Messi
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 23, 2024-Ausgabe von Business Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 23, 2024-Ausgabe von Business Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Pope urges 'all people of all nations' to silence arms
Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message Wednesday urged \"all people of all nations\" to find courage during this Holy Year \"to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions\" plaguing the world, from the Middle East to Ukraine, Africa to Asia.
Women in auto sector grapple with low wages, surging finger injuries
The severity of injuries among women in India's auto sector has been rising steadily from 2019 to 2024, according to the latest report by the Safe in India Foundation (SIIF), released last Friday.
Regular staffers in CPSEs decline 3.14% in FY24
Share of contract workers rises 8.8% to 704,565 in the same period
AI to D2M—DPG 2.0 needs deep-tech action now
From artificial intelligence to direct-to-mobile broadcasting, India faces a technology strategy dilemma on whether to develop indigenous deep-tech ecosystems or to follow the lead on technologies developed outside India.
SURETY VS GUARANTEE
Surety bonds have begun to outshine bank guarantees. But did they come in too late?
10 Picks Tailored for 2025 Market Terrain
These stocks, handpicked by top brokerages, offer a blend of value and growth. After declining 13-37% from their 52-week highs, these scrips boast reasonable valuations and high return on equity, signalling strong upside potential. KRISHNA KANT outlines the blueprint for gains
Shah, Naidu, other NDA leaders meet at Nadda's residence
Leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) met at BJP president J P Nadda's Delhi residence on Wednesday on the birth centenary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
PM Recalls Ambedkar's Vision, Slams Congress
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused Congress of ignoring Dr B.R. Ambedkar's contribution to the development of water resources in the country as he laid the foundation stone of the Ken-Betwa river linking project in Madhya Pradesh.
AAP Schemes Disowned by Delhi Govt's Own Depts
After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress termed two of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s recently announced welfare schemes a hoax, two senior Delhi government officers issued public notices on Wednesday disowning these schemes.
Lock in long-term returns with non-par plans
With markets doing well for four years, many investors turned to unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips). However, with volatility increasing, traditional non-participating (non-par) insurance plans are gaining popularity for their guaranteed, tax-free returns.
