"Money rules everything and everywhere"; "Rafael Nadal did perfect investment" - Fans react to new Saudi Arabia-ATP deal

Tennis fans have recalled Rafael Nadal's deal with Saudi Arabia while expressing their thoughts on the ATP tour's new deal with the Middle Eastern country.

On Wednesday, February 28, the governing body of men's tennis announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). The deal involves PIF becoming the official naming partner of the rankings and also entering partnerships with six ATP tournaments.

According to a press release, ATP CEO Massimo Calvelli stated that PIF will aid in developing and unlocking opportunities for young players.

"Our strategic partnership with PIF marks a major moment for tennis. It's a shared commitment to propel the future of the sport. With PIF's dedication to the next generation - fostering innovation and creating opportunities for all - the stage is set for a transformative new period of progress," Calvelli said (via ATP Tour's official website).

This news comes not long after Saudi Arabia announced that they had appointed Rafael Nadal as an ambassador of their tennis federation. Afterwards, the Spaniard conveyed his excitement to be part of the country's growth and progress.

"Everywhere you look in Saudi Arabia, you can see growth and progress and I’m excited to be part of that. I continue to play tennis as I love the game. But beyond playing I want to help the sport grow far and wide across the world and in Saudi there is real potential," Nadal said in a press conference.

With the news of ATP signing a partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia's PIF, one fan on X (formerly Twitter) remarked on how Nadal was ahead of the curve with his ambassador role.

"Rafa Nadal did the perfect investment. It's insane," the fan wrote.

Despite the Gulf Country being criticized for a lot of things, especially its poor human rights record, another fan remarked the ATP's new deal is another sign that money always makes the difference at the end of the day.

"Money rules everything and everywhere," they posted.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

Tennis commentator says Rafael Nadal's Saudi deal helped clear his academy's debt

Rafael Nadal is a 22-time Grand Slam champion.

Last year, it was announced that Rafael Nadal had signed up to be a part of the Union Internationale Motonautique's E1 World Championship, the world's first all-electric powerboat championship.

The Spaniard had become one of the team owners and, in a press release, had expressed excitement at being a part of the project. The series also features other sporting superstars such as F1 stars Nico Rosberg and Sergio Perez.

During an Instagram Q&A session, tennis commentator Craig Shapiro revealed that Nadal's academy has financially benefited from his recent deal with Saudi Arabia when asked about the Spaniard's involvement in the E1 World Championship.

"I was told they had huge debt on the academy and that got wiped out by the Saudi deal they did," Shapiro wrote.