In a move that’s set the tennis world abuzz, Saudi Arabia has been officially announced as the host of a brand-new ATP Masters 1000 tournament, with the inaugural event expected to take place as early as 2028. The confirmation, made public on October 23, 2025, signals a seismic shift in the sport’s global landscape, marking the first expansion of the Masters 1000 category since its inception in 1990. The announcement was made in Paris, France, with key figures from the tennis and investment world present, including Yazeed A. Al-Humied, Deputy Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF); Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman; Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan, Governor of PIF; Danny Townsend, CEO of SURJ Sports Investment; and Bandar Mogren, Chairman of SURJ Sports Investment and COO of PIF.
Saudi Arabia’s addition as the tenth host joins the ranks of Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Toronto/Montreal, Cincinnati, Shanghai, and Paris, making it a truly global Masters 1000 circuit. The Saudi event will feature a 56-player field, contested over a one-week period, most likely in February—though the exact dates and venue are still to be finalized. This new tournament, which will not be mandatory for players, comes in response to ongoing concerns over the length and intensity of the professional tennis calendar.
The ATP Chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi, expressed his enthusiasm about the development, stating, "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."
The tournament is poised to become a shareholder in ATP Media, the Tour’s global broadcast and media arm, aligning with the other Masters 1000 events. This partnership further cements Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in international tennis. The country already hosts the WTA Finals in Riyadh through at least 2027 and the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah since 2023. Earlier this month, the city of Riyadh also played host to the Six Kings Slam, an exhibition event won by world number one Jannik Sinner, showcasing Saudi Arabia’s increasing pull in attracting top-tier tennis talent.
The new Masters 1000 event is not just about elite competition. A nationwide grassroots program, developed in partnership with the Saudi Tennis Federation, will be launched to promote inclusivity, accessibility, and talent development. This initiative aims to inspire the next generation of Saudi athletes and create robust pathways for participation, reflecting PIF’s broader ambition to grow sport at all levels across both the men’s and women’s games.
Bander Bin Mogren, Chairman of SURJ Sports Investment, emphasized the significance of the move: "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."
However, the addition of a new Masters event has not been without controversy or logistical headaches. The ATP calendar is already jam-packed, especially in February, which currently features ten tournaments across four continents, including events in Doha, Dubai, Rotterdam, and Rio de Janeiro. Gaudenzi suggested that the solution might involve creating two parallel tournament swings in February—one in West Asia and one in South America—with the European indoor events potentially moving later in the season. "Our focus is on ensuring that we deliver a world-class tennis tournament, and 2028 we believe to be a time that meets the infrastructure build requirements," said SURJ chief executive Daniel Townsend.
Notably, the Saudi Masters 1000 will not be a mandatory event for ATP players, following the model of Monte Carlo, the only other non-mandatory Masters 1000. Players who choose to skip the event will not have their share of the annual bonus pool affected, and they will have opportunities to recoup lost ranking points elsewhere. This decision was made in light of ongoing debates about player workload and the increasingly crowded tennis schedule. In recent months, several players, including Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper, have voiced concerns about the toll of a relentless season, with Alcaraz lamenting, "They are going to kill us in some way."
The prize money for the Saudi event will be in line with ATP’s minimum requirements for Masters 1000 tournaments. For context, the Paris Masters, which also features a 56-man field, is offering a minimum of 6,128,940 euros this year. While tournaments can offer more, such increases must be distributed fairly throughout the draw. Details on the exact prize fund for the Saudi tournament are expected to be released closer to the event’s debut.
Saudi Arabia’s ambitions in tennis have evolved over the past three years. Initial proposals from the kingdom called for a combined men’s and women’s Masters 1000 event to kick off the season in January, potentially upending the global tennis calendar. However, resistance from existing tournament owners and the Grand Slam organizers, along with logistical challenges, led to a more modest proposal: a men’s Masters 1000 in February. Danny Townsend, CEO of SURJ Sports Investment, remarked, "Our ambition is to own an event, in the kingdom, both genders, having it play a meaningful role in the tennis calendar. Obviously having them on at the same time, or at least in sequence, in Saudi Arabia would be great. That wasn't possible at this point in time, but we would certainly never say never and explore it if it's going to become an option."
The announcement comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in sports as part of a broader national strategy to diversify its economy and enhance its global image. The PIF has poured resources into football, golf, Formula 1, boxing, electric motorsports, and esports, with tennis now firmly in its sights. These moves have not been without criticism, especially regarding the country’s human rights record and accusations of "sportswashing"—a term used by some organizations to describe efforts to improve reputations through high-profile sporting events.
Despite the debates, the arrival of a Masters 1000 tournament in Saudi Arabia represents a watershed moment for tennis. As the ATP, PIF, and SURJ Sports Investment work to finalize the tournament’s details and navigate the complex logistics of the global tennis calendar, fans and players alike are watching closely. More information on the venue, dates, and prize money is expected in the coming months.
With the landscape of professional tennis shifting, one thing is certain: the sport’s next chapter will have a distinctly Saudi flavor, and the world will be watching as this ambitious vision comes to life.
