World women’s tennis registers a premiere after Saudi Arabia sent its first team to the competition organized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), writes Reuters.

Saudi Arabia is represented for the first time by a women’s team in world tennis

In the pre-qualifying tournament for the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly the Federation Cup), Saudi Arabia is represented by the women’s team. The competition is held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

“It’s an extraordinary experience and it’s very inspiring. Participating in this event is a big step for women’s tennis in Saudi Arabia and we are all very proud to represent our country and give our best.” – Arej Farahthe captain of the Saudi Arabian national team, as quoted by Agerpres.

Recent reforms have given women in Saudi Arabia more freedom, but many of their rights remain limited, Reuters noted.

The Saudi women’s national football team did not play its first match until February 2022, while Saudi women were banned from stadiums for matches until 2017.