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atp tour has announced that it will host a new Masters program saudi arabia From early 2028.
In a statement, the ATP said the new tournament will join the existing nine Masters events in the category’s first expansion in its 35-year history. The ATP did not say when the tournament would be held, with venues and dates yet to be announced – but a new Masters event would require an overhaul of its calendar and schedule – which has been criticized by players in recent weeks.
The new tournament marks the biggest step forward in men’s tennis for Saudi Arabia, which hosted the WTA Finals for the first time last season and, from 2023, the ATP’s NextGen Finals, which will feature the top-ranked players under the age of 20.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) became the official naming partner of the world ranking in February 2024, with the ATP and PIF announcing a “multi-year strategic partnership” that included investment in several major tour programs.
The creation of a new Masters, the highest level tournament in addition to the four Grand Slam events of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open, has since felt inevitable, while Saudi Arabia has hosted top male players including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic in a lucrative Six Kings Slam exhibition, which cost The total is $6 million for the winner.
The Saudi Arabia Masters will join the existing nine tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris. Seven of the nine Masters tournaments are currently played in a 12-day format, with the only exceptions being Monte-Carlo and Paris, while the length of the events has proven controversial and unpopular with some major players.
Top-10 players Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz meet ATP to change its schedule while Alcaraz agreed with Iga Swiatek’s assessment that the season had been “too long and too intense” following a horrific injury to Holger Rune at last week’s Nordic Open, while Alcaraz agreed with Iga Swiatek’s assessment shortly before withdrawing from the Masters in Shanghai.
ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi told some journalists that the Saudi Arabian Masters will feature 56 players, which will last a week, and will not be mandatory. Gaudenzi also told reporters that the tournament could be played at a time in the season after the Australian Open in February, with events currently held in nearby Doha and Dubai.