Battle of the Sexes tennis: Billie Jean King says it’s just entertainment Sport Business Billie Jean King has distanced herself from this year’s Battle of the Sexes tennis showdown, insisting hers was about “social change”, while the 2025 edition is “entertainment”. World number one Aryna Sabalenka will take on Australian Nick Kyrgios in a Battle of the Sexes match in Dubai on 30 December. King famously beat self-proclaimed chauvinist [...]
Sport business quiz 2025: Test your knowledge with City AM’s topical teasers Sport Business Quiz fans, have you been paying attention to the ever-changing sport business landscape in 2025? We at City AM have been breathlessly documenting it and have devised a test to see how much you remember. If you think you know your Hundred auctions from your Formula 1 minority sales and your record breaking NBA team [...]
WTA and Mercedes-Benz pen decade-long deal said to be worth $500m Sport Business The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) has penned a decade-long partnership agreement with Mercedes-Benz believed to be worth as much as $500m (£376m). The deal, announced at the Mercedes factory in Stuttgart with WTA co-founder Billie Jean King and 20-time grand slam winner Roger Federer in attendance, will see the automotive behemoth become a “premier partner” [...]
Zverev latest to enter luxury market with Loewe deal November 14, 2025 Tennis player Alexander Zverev is the latest sports star to cross over with luxury, announcing a deal with German AV brand Loewe. Zverev, also German, is taking part in the ATP Finals this week in Turin and follows Kylian Mbappe in agreeing a global brand ambassador deal with Loewe, which is headquartered in Kronach. It [...]
Amex cites sponsorship strategy for Gen Z and Millennial credit card surge November 14, 2025 The surge in Millennials and Gen Zers taking out American Express cards is “definitely” down to the financial services provider going big on sponsorship, it says. The New York-headquartered card issuer states that over 60 per cent of Amex’s new global consumer card acquisitions “represent Millennials and Gen Z”, something they attribute to their drive [...]
WTA Finals set to extend stay in Saudi Arabia as kingdom invests in tennis November 10, 2025 The money-spinning WTA Finals are set to remain in Saudi Arabia beyond the current contract. The finals, featuring the world’s top eight women’s players, concluded its second season in Saudi Arabia at the weekend as part of a three-year deal. But WTA chief Portia Archer said they would be looking to keep the event “in [...]
Exclusive: Padel pioneers to set up pro pickleball circuit in Europe and Middle East November 10, 2025 A professional pickleball circuit is coming to Europe and the Middle East in 2026 in a move its founders hope can replicate the racquet sport’s explosive growth in the US. Pickleball – played on small courts and popular with both celebrities including Dua Lipa and Emma Watson and former tennis stars such as Maria Sharapova [...]
Sabalenka to face Kyrgios in Battle of the Sexes in Dubai November 4, 2025 The United Arab Emirates will host a “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios this year. Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena will stage the first such match since 1992 when world No1 Sabalenka faces Australian Kyrgios, who reached a career-high 13th in 2016. “I have a lot of respect for Nick and [...]
Tennis chiefs risk angering players by adding Saudi Masters event to calendar October 23, 2025 The ATP is to add a new Masters 1000 event in Saudi Arabia despite complaints from some top tennis players that the calendar is already too congested. The Saudi Masters event could become a fixture on the men’s elite tour as soon as 2028, with February earmarked as the most likely window but not yet [...]
How sport can take tackle Gen Z’s problem with gender polarisation October 21, 2025 Gender is as becoming as divisive as race, politics and economics among but sport can play its part in fixing a growing problem among Gen Z, writes Matt Readman. It’s been 25 years since Nelson Mandela famously said that sport could “unite people in a way that little else does”. While sport has sometimes mirrored social [...]