A brand new ATP Masters 1000 event in Saudi Arabia is set to be added to the tennis calendar.
The ATP announced on Thursday that Saudi Arabia will host a new-look Masters tournament from 2028 onwards, in what marks the first expansion of the Masters series since its inception 35 years ago.
Though the event’s placement on the calendar is not yet confirmed, it will likely be in February during the Middle East swing, alongside the Qatar Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Saudi Arabia’s interest in tennis is continuing to grow, with the Gulf state already hosting the WTA Finals, the Next Gen ATP Finals, as well as the Six Kings Slam exhibition event.
The announcement of the new addition to the ATP calendar comes amid criticism of the tennis schedule, with many current and former players voicing their frustrations as the injury list begins to pile up.
Now, world number two and Six Kings Slam champion, Jannik Sinner, has had his say on the news.
Jannik Sinner reacts to the new Masters event in Saudi Arabia
As per Ubitennis, Sinner said: “I believe this is the first time a Masters 1000 has been added to the calendar.
“From my experience in that country, the population is very young, and the market could become very large: I see it positively, let’s see what it will bring to us players.”
Sinner emerged victorious at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh after defeating rival Carlos Alcaraz in the final, following comfortable wins in the previous rounds against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic.
“A Masters is important for the points, and for those who are starting to play at that level,” said the 24-year-old. “I’m not exactly sure when it will be played, but overall, I think it’s a positive thing.”
The new tournament in Saudi Arabia joins Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris in the Masters series, which began in the 1990 season.
Player workload on the ATP Tour continues to grow
With another Masters 1000 tournament in the calendar, the already packed tennis schedule becomes even more crammed.
In recent years, the ATP have expanded seven of the nine Masters 1000 competitions to 12-day events, with the Cincinnati Open and the Canadian Open the most recent tournaments to be lengthened.
Currently, the only Masters event that is not mandatory for eligible players is Monte-Carlo, which takes place annually during the busy clay season.
The off-season for most ATP players lasts just over a month, as the final events of the year wrap up in November, and the new campaign begins in early January.
As player workload keeps growing, if no changes are made to the calendar, the ongoing issues with player fitness and injuries may continue to get worse.
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