Aussie surfing world champ Tyler Wright’s family slam WSL Abu Dhabi announcement

The family of Australian surfer Tyler Wright is concerned for the world champion’s safety after an announcement was roundly slammed.

The family of Tyler Wright have concerns for the Australian world champion’s safety following the release of the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) schedule.

Next year’s championship tour calendar was announced over the weekend. There are 12 stops on the schedule, which begins with Pipeline in January and features three events in Australia, plus iconic surf locations at Teahupo’o and South Africa’s Jeffreys Bay.

But the inclusion of the Surf Abu Dhabi event in the United Arab Emirates has sparked furious reaction.

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Wright, an Olympian and two-time world champion in 2016 and 2017, is married to wife Lilli, who slammed the WSL’s decision to include the UAE on the schedule.

Homosexuality and same sex marriages are illegal in the UAE.

Wright, the WSL’s only openly queer surfer, came out as bisexual in 2020 and married her wife Lilli in 2022.

Australia’s Tyler Wright is a two-time surfing world champion. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

“Unfortunately homosexuality is illegal at one of the locations and my wife can legally be sentenced to death or imprisonment if she tries to attend,” Lilli Wright wrote on Instagram.

“Tyler has competed on this tour for over 14 years and has had the pride flag on her jersey since 2020. Even after winning 2 world titles she is still not valued enough by the WSL to be considered when they sold this event.

“WSL have the duty of care to their athletes to not put them in potentially life threatening circumstances like this.

“It has been an upsetting journey educating myself on the legality and the history of LGBTQIA+ rights at this location and I doubt there is any “solution” I would feel comfortable with the love of my life competing there. I see how hard my wife works every day on her career and it’s unreasonable to expect her to just not go.

“Her life is worth more than 1 event but I can’t not acknowledge missing this event would put her career at a huge disadvantage over the next 3 years that this location will be used. Tyler’s queerness should not have to be a burden or an obstacle in her workplace.

Tyler Wright and wife Lilli Wright. Photos: Instagram.

Tyler Wright wears a LQBTI flag on her shoulder. (Photo by Alan Van Gysen/World Surf League via Getty Images)

“It’s important for me to add that I’m aware of my privilege as a white woman and am not here to promote racism or to tell people from a different country with different values how to run their own legal system.

“I do however believe it is a conversation where there is a country such as this that is putting a lot of money into being an international destination for professional sporting competitions especially when they have such strict laws on the LGBTQIA+ community.

“At the end of the day, WSL had absolutely no business selling this event to this location expecting their only openly queer athlete to go along quietly.”

Tyler Wright’s brother Mikey also commented: “The schedule should be rethought, you have no business putting on an event at a location where my sister can be sentenced by law with the death penalty.

“So much for equality and equal rights, only when it’s convenient to wsl.

“You have supported the LQBTQ flag on her shoulder but now you want to strip it and be hush hush to get her to a location that she’s at risk of this punishment. You have the responsibility to protect your athletes, interested to see how you think you can protect her against the law @wsl.”

Lilli Wright has criticised the inclusion of the UAE in the WSL schedule. Photo: Instagram.

Wright’s family have slammed the WSL. Photo: Instagram.

Wright’s sister Kirby said: “Do you have a safety plan in place for my sister???”

Other sports including Formula One, skateboarding and sailing have held events in the UAE in recent years.

The UAE event will be held on Hudayriat Island in a human-made wave pool, which has rankled many surfing fans and traditionalists. The venue has the largest human-made wave in the world.

Wright finished 10th in this year’s WSL standings. Fellow Aussie Molly Picklum was fifth, while American teenager Caitlin Simmers claimed her maiden world title.