Towards a Masters 1000 in Saudi Arabia? The ATP responds!

It's no longer a secret. Saudi Arabia seeks to develop through sport and its action in the world of Tennis is a perfect illustration of this.

If, for the moment, their place in the calendar remains limited, their objective is obviously to organize increasingly important tournaments on their soil, and in particular a Masters 1000. Indeed, rumors of a tournament of this importance organized in Saudi Arabia are growing more and more.

So much so that Andrea Gaudenzi, president of the ATP, was questioned about it from Turin where the ATP Finals take place. He explained: “If this happens, it will not be before 2028 because there is infrastructure work that requires time. The other Masters 1000 tournaments are not threatened, because they have benefited from category protection for 30 years.

The approach with the Saudis has been open, listening to their aspirations, because they want to invest in tennis and help us. We want to build bridges, not barriers.

When I first played in Dubai and Doha in the 90s, things were different, but significant progress was made. Saudi Arabia has this desire for change. »