Tournament director Salah Tahlak said that Pe'er was refused on the grounds that her appearance could incite anger in the Arab country, after she had already faced protests at the ASB Classic over the Gaza War.[20] The WTA said that it would review future tournaments in Dubai.[21] Due to the action, Tennis Channel decided not to televise the event[22] and The Wall Street Journal dropped its sponsorship.[23] The 2008 winner of the men's singles Andy Roddick chose not to defend his title, with prize money of over $2 million, to protest against the UAE's refusal to grant Pe'er a visa.