Saudi Arabia to have its own ATP Masters 1000 from 2027

11/19/2024 11:30 AM

According to Saudi media, from 2027 or 2028 Saudi Arabia will have its own ATP Masters 1000 - the Qiddiya Master - a tournament that should be played in Riyadh in February, and that would precede the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open. The agreement was signed in Rome a few days ago and will be made official shortly, according to what was reported by the media of the Middle Eastern country. And the possible 10th ATP Masters 1000 of the season will be another commitment in an already very full schedule.

Therefore, Saudi Arabia interest in the world of tennis is ever-growing. In recent years, in fact, the country has become a regular destination for pharaonic tennis events, with huge prize pools that increasingly attract the circuit's stars.

The tournaments in Doha and Dubai, which have become part of the WTA 1000 category, and the move of the WTA Finals to Riyadh, the most recent example is the millionaire exhibition tournament of the Six Kings Slam, which saw six champions compete, including future champion Jannik Sinner, for monstrous sums.

The new ATP Masters 1000 should be held from 2028, as explained - without giving too much away - by ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"If it happens, it won't be before 2028. There are works at the infrastructure level that could take time," he said. As reported by the Saudi media, however, the Arabs are pushing to bring forward the times and propose the tournament as early as 2027, entering the world of tennis with ever greater force.

In a recent interview with SpilXperten he talked about the expansion of tennis in Saudi Arabia, explaining why he received offers to play at The Six Kings Slam and sharing a very harsh opinion about tennis in the Saudi country. "I didn't get an offer from the Six Kings Slam, but I've had offers before and I chose not to go. Obviously it's a controversial country in many ways, but there are other countries that we travel to and play in. One of them is China. There's been a lot of talk about Peng Shuai and what happened to her, and that's just to say that if you want to point out Saudi Arabia as a controversial country, you should also mention other countries that we're not talking about," he explained.