Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal plan to have a show match in Saudi Arabia at the end of December 2018. This causes irritation at Amnesty International, for example.
Anyone who observes Novak Djokovic at press conferences sees a man who basically takes every question from the auditorium with great seriousness, trying to give a balanced, thoughtful answer. So it can be assumed that Djokovic, who recently seemed almost unbeatable again, has thought about whether it is justifiable to have a show fight with Rafael Nadal in Saudi Arabia.
The stock exchange should amount to more than one million US dollars for both players. It would be the first meeting since the Wimbledon semi-final between world number one Nadal and Djokovic, who could regain the top of the ATP charts in the coming weeks. Unless the two legends played against each other in Paris-Bércy or at the ATP Finals in London.
However, in light of the current events surrounding the alleged assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi in Istanbul, voices are being raised urging Djokovic and Nadal to reconsider their appearance in Jeddah on 22 December 2018: “We are not about to decide which countries will and will not compete in sports,” explained Allan Hogarth of Amnesty International, UK Division. “But of course it’s clear that countries like Saudi Arabia are well aware of the potential of sport to give their country a better image.”
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are of course not the first athletes to make a stop in the kingdom. FC Bayern Munich had also played a test match in Saudi Arabia a few years ago, which had also caused irritation within the fan community of the German record champions.
“Nadal and Djokovic can, of course, decide where they want to stage their lucrative show fights,” Hogarth continues. “But if they really go to Jeddah, then we would appreciate it if they would use their influence on human rights issues. A start would be the support of the brave fighters for human rights in Saudi Arabia in the social media.”