John McEnroe has slammed tennis' relationship with Saudi Arabia as "laughable" with Rafael Nadal becoming an ambassador Saudi Tennis Federation.
Saudi Arabia has already made a huge dent in the sporting landscape having lured the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar to the Saudi Pro League while LIV Golf has overhauled professional golf.
The kingdom has also been named as host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup and has taken over as the go-to place for blockbuster boxing bouts to be hosted.
Tennis made the move over to Saudi Arabia last year as the Next Gen ATP Finals were hosted in Jeddah and talks are ongoing for the WTA Finals to be held in Saudi Arabia as well.
John McEnroe is unhappy about tennis' move to Saudi Arabia
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Nadal has now been recruited by Saudi Arabia to help promote tennis in the kingdom with plans for a Rafa Nadal Academy to open there.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion's move is unlikely to sit well with McEnroe, who slammed tennis' budding relationship with the kingdom.
"Let's put it this way: money talks," he told ESPN.
"Personally, I disagree with it completely, with the golf and the tennis.
"The ladies are going to play the WTA Finals there? Are you kidding me? Because they treat women so well? That part to me is laughable.
"At the same time, which is also laughable, is the people that can criticise tennis players or golfers for doing something that virtually every business and the government do, which is deal with Saudi Arabia.
"This idea that tennis players have to set the moral standard, or golfers for that matter, when they're all making the money, it's a total joke as far as I'm concerned."
Amnesty International have called on Nadal, who withdrew from the Australian Open due to injury, to use his new role to speak out on the Gulf state's human rights record.
Rafael Nadal has become an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation
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"Rafa Nadal's new role is just the latest chapter in Saudi Arabia's relentless sportswashing operation," Amnesty International UK's economic affairs director Peter Frankental said.
"From tennis to football, golf and boxing, the Saudi authorities have spent billions in their efforts to rebrand the country as a sporting superpower and deflect attention from an appalling human rights record.
"As with other sporting stars taking well-paid jobs in Saudi Arabia, we would urge Nadal to speak out about Saudi Arabia's human rights record, offering an important message of solidarity with the country's jailed human rights defenders."
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Saudi Arabia are hosting the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah
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Sport has played a key part in Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reform agenda.
The plan is to transform Saudi Arabia into a tourism and business hub while transitioning the country away from fossil fuels.
But the kingdom has been accused of "sportswashing" to improve its international reputation.
