ATP announces historic Masters 1000 expansion with event in Saudi Arabia
NewsThursday, 23 October 2025 at 18:33
Saudi Arabia's involvement in tennis and sport more broadly has become even more pronounced after the ATP announced that a Masters 1000 event in the country will be added to the calendar.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia's first notable involvement on the ATP Tour began when Jeddah started hosting the Next Gen Finals, which it continues to do. That made the city a destination for fans to watch some of the best emerging talents in men's tennis.
The ATP has also been publicizing the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund that invests in sports and other activities, by its rankings being sponsored by PIF and the name being on advertising boards at 1000-level tournaments.
Its visibility has also been evident in the women's game. Last year's WTA Finals, won by Coco Gauff, was hosted in Riyadh, and the 2025 edition will return to Saudi Arabia's capital city. PIF also funded a historic maternity program.
Rumors have circulated for a few years about Saudi Arabia hosting a Masters 1000 event. The inevitable was confirmed when the ATP website announced that a Masters tournament would start there as early as 2028.
No other events are being replaced to accommodate this move. It will join the Indian Wells Open, Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Masters, Madrid Open, Italian Open, Canadian Open, Canadian Open, Shanghai Masters, and Paris Masters as the 1000-level tournaments.
Saudi Arabia's new event will be accompanied by a nationwide grassroots programme, in partnership with the Saudi Tennis Federation, to inspire and support the next generation of athletes on their journeys.
The ATP's chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi, expressed his excitement. He said the development had been worked on for years and that Saudi Arabia has shown interest in supporting tennis.
"This is a proud moment for us and the result of a journey that’s been years in the making. 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."
"Strengthening our premium events is driving record growth and transformation across the Tour, and we’re grateful to our partners at PIF and SURJ for helping deliver that growth and sharing in this vision.”
SURJ Sports Investment, a PIF company, announced the launch with the ATP. Its chairman, Bander Bin Mogren, stated that a Masters 1000 tournament being held in Saudi Arabia would strengthen tennis in the region.
"Bringing an ATP Masters 1000 event to Saudi Arabia is a major step forward for tennis in the region and a reflection of our shared commitment with ATP to the growth of the game around the world."
"This announcement underscores Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a major destination for world-class sport and strengthens our ambition to support athletes, fans, and the wider tennis community for years to come. We are proud to be leading this effort with our partners, and we are committed to delivering a tournament that leaves a lasting legacy for the sport."
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