The ATP has officially confirmed a new Masters 1000 tournament in Saudi Arabia, set to debut in 2028. This marks the first addition to the Masters 1000 series since its inception in 1990, signaling a major shift in the global tennis calendar.
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi revealed during a press conference in Paris that the event will be held “at the start of the season,” played on hard courts in a city yet to be announced, and will run for “one week.” He described this as “a proud moment for us and the result of a journey that’s been years in the making.”
Historic Expansion of ATP Masters 1000
The new Saudi Masters event will expand the calendar to ten tournaments. It will join the existing Masters in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Toronto/Montreal, Cincinnati, Shanghai, and Paris. The decision follows growing interest in Saudi Arabia’s involvement in top-tier sports.
The announcement comes after players raised concerns this year over the intense ATP schedule that stretches from January to November.
A Non-Mandatory Tournament
The Saudi Masters will not be a compulsory tournament, unlike most of its counterparts. Gaudenzi explained, “Our open system has a lot of pros because it provides a lot of freedom, options and choices for the players.”
He further added, “But the downside is that they obviously can’t play Slams, Masters, (ATP) 500s, 250s freely. On top of the fact that they also play team events and exhibitions like the Six Kings Slam.”
Backed by Major Investment
According to ATP, the tournament will be launched in partnership with SURJ Sports Investments, which is tied to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The amount invested has not been made public.
Saudi Arabia has quickly emerged as a growing force in tennis. It has hosted the WTA Finals in Riyadh since 2024 and the Next Gen ATP Finals since 2023. “Tennis is one of the sports that we think will grow massively,” said a Saudi source close to the agreement.
“There is already a lot of infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, (tennis) has a great access to the young generation… It ticks all the boxes in terms of the thinking of PIF.”
Expanding Global Tennis
PIF partners with ATP Masters events like Indian Wells, Miami, and Madrid and also sponsors the ATP rankings. Recently, Saudi Arabia hosted the Six Kings Slam featuring stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic.
The Saudi Masters 1000 tournament is expected to enhance the sport’s reach in the Middle East and reshape the early-season schedule for top players.
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