'Controversial country in many ways' - Casper Ruud reveals why he declined offers to play in Saudi Arabia

Amidst the ongoing Six Kings Slam tournament in Saudi Arabia, Casper Ruud has described the nation as ‘controversial’.

Norwegian tennis star Casper Ruud has called Saudi Arabia a ‘controversial country’ during the 2024 Six Kings Slam. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Holger Rune, and Daniil Medvedev have also participated in the competition.

During a recent interview with Spilxperten, the two-time Roland Garros runner-up revealed that he has received offers from Saudi in the past, but he has decided to not play. He also took the name of China, by stating that it’s a country controversial in terms of travelling and human rights. 

Ruud said, “I didn’t get an offer from Six Kings Slam, but I’ve had offers in the past and I’ve chosen not to go. It is of course a controversial country in many ways, but there are also other countries that are controversial that we travel to and play in.”

He further added, “You can certainly discuss China and human rights there, but we go there every year. There was a lot of talk about Peng Shuai and what happened to her, and it’s just to say that if you want to point to Saudi Arabia as a controversial country, you should also mention other countries that we’re not talking about.”

Casper Ruud also talked about the money factors, that make the tournament a major attraction for tennis players. The former US Open runner-up stated that the thing can be termed as ‘sports washing’. However, he also said that it can be a step taken by the current Prime minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud for the betterment of the state of sports in the Middle Eastern nation. 

“Of course, they have a lot of money, and I know what I’m saying will probably be described as sports washing, but it seems to me that their new leader Mohammed bin Salman will do something, especially in sports. He might want to change the country and maybe make it a little more Western. Athletes traveling there could lead to a change, who knows?”

The former ATP World No. #2 last played at the 2024 Shanghai Masters, where he lost to Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic in the opening round. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old is currently playing in Stockholm, Sweden. Ruud got a bye in the first round and started his campaign against Italy’s Lorenzo Senego in the Round of 16.

With a resounding victory over Senego, Ruud has advanced to the second round, where he will face seventh seed Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands.

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