The ATP is launching a new Masters 1000-level event in Saudi Arabia, the tour announced Thursday.
Working with SURJ Sports Investments, part of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the tournament is set to debut on the tennis calendar as early as 2028. Saudi Arabia currently hosts the year-end WTA Finals and ATP Next Gen Finals.
The new Masters tournament marks the PIF’s latest foray into tennis. The fund is the official naming partner of the world rankings for both the ATP and WTA and has partnerships with various marquee events, including Indian Wells and Madrid. The PIF is also the sponsor for the WTA’s newly launched maternity leave program.
The Middle Eastern country has faced widespread criticism for human rights violations. Critics contend Saudi Arabia has engaged in sportswashing and used the country’s wealth to invest in global sports initiatives to improve its reputation on the world stage. Prior to the WTA announcing it would hold the year-end finals there, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova expressed their opposition in a 2024 opinion piece for The Washington Post, writing that it “would represent not progress, but significant regression.”
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, in a statement Thursday, called the new tournament a “proud moment” for his organization.
“[This is] the result of a journey that’s been years in the making,” Gaudenzi said. “Saudi Arabia has shown a genuine commitment to tennis — not just at the professional level, but also in growing the game more broadly at all levels. PIF’s ambition for the sport is clear, and we believe fans and players alike will be amazed by what’s coming.”
The specific timing of the Saudi Arabia event was not announced, same for the host city and venue. It will be the ATP’s 10th Masters tournament — the highest level of tennis events outside the majors — and the first to be launched since the category was introduced in 1990.
ATP players with a ranking that would allow for direct entry are currently required to play in eight of the nine Masters 1000-level tournaments, with exceptions for injury. Monte Carlo, played in April, is the only Masters event that is not mandatory.
Many players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, have voiced concerns about the length and intensity of the globetrotting season, in addition to the extended format (from one week to 12 days) of several 1000-level events. The addition of another mandatory tournament on the men’s tour could be met with mixed reaction.
