COLOMBO: Women’s sport in Saudi Arabia reached a new milestone this week as the kingdom sent their first female team to an International Tennis Federation (ITF) event.
The Asia/Oceania pre-qualifying event of Billie Jean King Cup Juniors, hosted this week in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is the first time Saudi Arabia has been represented by a female team at an ITF event.
“This is an amazing experience, and it is so empowering,” Saudi Arabia captain Areej Farah told ITF.
“Taking part in this event is a big step for women’s tennis in Saudi and we are all very proud to represent our country and do our best.
“Watching doors open for our young Saudi female athletes is just beyond exciting. I feel like I’m living through them, and I honestly thank this team for trusting me and allowing me this opportunity to guide them.”
With Saudi government’s recent reforms granting women in the country more freedoms, Saudi Arabia’s women’s football team played their first match in February 2022.
“It’s groundbreaking because Saudi Arabia has a goal of expanding the number of women in sports, and being a part of that just makes us feel so lucky,” Dania Alzuhair, representing Saudi Arabia at the 16-and-under team event, added.
“Billie Jean King Cup is a huge international event, and we are so proud to take part in it.”
The ITF has been working with the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation in the development of junior initiatives over the last few years, it said.
“(The development programs include) the Junior Tennis Initiative and educational programs for coaches and parents,” the ITF’s Development Officer for West and Central Asia, Amir Borghei, said.
“The Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation’s approach of developing junior tennis has helped them form a girls’ team, which is participating at an ITF team event for the first time. It is wonderful to see.”
Saudi Arabia send first female team to ITF event
https://arab.news/ykavn
Saudi Arabia send first female team to ITF event
- “This is an amazing experience, and it is so empowering,” said Saudi Arabia captain Areej Farah
- The ITF has been working with the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation in the development of junior initiatives over the last few years
Rhodes leads after second round of PIF Saudi Ladies International
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RIYADH: England’s Mimi Rhodes backed up a stellar opening in round two of the PIF Saudi Ladies International at Riyadh Golf Club, moving into an outright lead and fending off advances from South Africa’s Casandra Alexander and Chizzy Iwai of Japan.
The 24-year-old, who was the Ladies European Tour’s 2025 Rookie of the Year, posted a score of 69 to move to an overall total of 11-under-par to lead by one.
Another former LET Rookie of the Year, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, who now has 12 professional wins, sits one shot further back in tied fourth alongside Japan’s Rio Takeda. Eight players are tied for sixth and England’s Charley Hull lies four back from her compatriot alongside past champion Patty Tavatanakit.
Reflecting on her mindset, and how she has approached the week so far, Rhodes said: “Honestly, I was so excited. Having two months off competitive golf, it’s so long, but I just got back into the swing of things.
“Holing putts is my main goal out there and having the greens rolling really nicely is definitely an advantage for that. I’m just taking it chilled out there and being patient.
“I wasn’t putting too much pressure on myself, but obviously it’s a big event, one of the PIF Global Series, so I wanted to do well, and start with a cut made. I’ve done more than that. I think I can be proud of myself and now (I will) just see what happens. I’m happy.”
The second day of the event highlighted Golf Saudi’s investment in the future of women’s sport with the WiMENA (Women in Middle East and North Africa) panels, which included pioneering Saudi athletes such as Kariman Abuljadayel, the trailblazing sprinter who set a Guinness World Record for the 10 km open water row. Joining her were Razan Al-Ajmi, Saudi Arabia's first female skydiver, members of the Saudi national rugby team and other prominent Olympians and sports figures.
Ameera Marghalani, a pioneering female Saudi rugby national team member, said: “I want to see the support for sports grow exponentially across the country.
“My vision is to see more young girls and women joining the sporting community, not just in major cities but across every corner of Saudi Arabia.”
