It was revealed last year that the ATP Tour will add a brand new Masters 1000 event in Saudi Arabia from 2028 onwards.
The new Masters tournament was announced in October last year, and although its position in the calendar is not yet confirmed, it is likely to fall within the Middle East swing in February.
Saudi Arabia is already the host of several tennis events, including the WTA Finals, the Next Gen ATP Finals, and the Six Kings Slam exhibition.
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Now, however, the Gulf state will be the home of a 10th ATP Masters 1000 competition, joining Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris.
The announcement was not well received by many people in tennis, including Argentina Open tournament director Martin Jaite.
Martin Jaite suggests the ‘problem’ with the Saudi Arabia Masters
As per ‘Clay‘, Jaite revealed a conversation he had with the ATP Chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi.
He said: “What he told us is that the ATP wants to maintain and promote the South American tour. He told us that he wants the tour to continue and that the dates should not be changed.
“Perhaps by keeping the same tournaments, perhaps by expanding one of the tournaments. To boost the South American tour, in the medium term, the ideal would be to have two 500 tournaments in South America.
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“Nothing we talk about and I propose to him is foreign to him. The ATP does not want to kill the South American tour, but the problem the ATP has today goes beyond the South American tour.
“In 2028, a tournament in Saudi Arabia will appear that will shake up the entire South American tour, the European indoor tour, and even the US tour with Delray Beach and Dallas.”
Martin Jaite reveals Andrea Gaudenzi’s impression of Buenos Aires
Jaite’s Argentina Open saw home hope Francisco Cerundolo win the title on Sunday in Buenos Aires.
The tournament is one of the traditional clay court events held in February, and always has an incredibly passionate crowd.
Discussing Gaudenzi’s impression of Buenos Aires during his visit, Jaite said he was ‘very positively surprised by the city’.
‘”But he was also impressed by the tournament, the tennis culture here, and how much people here know about tennis,” said Jaite. “Gaudenzi is a very knowledgeable person, and I can say that he left satisfied with his visit.”
Fears around the future of the South American tournaments grew after the announcement of the new Saudi Arabia Masters.
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