What John McEnroe said about tennis going to Saudi Arabia last year as new Masters 1000 event is confirmed

Follow us on Google Discover

From 2028 onwards, there will be another Masters 1000 event added to the calendar...

It was announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia will host a Masters 1000 event in the future.

Rumours of the event had been circling for quite some time, although it had been unclear when the tournament would be confirmed.

Saudi Arabia has become a major player in tennis over recent years, and already hosts a number of events, including the Six Kings Slam, WTA Finals, and Next Gen ATP Finals.

The introduction of a Masters 1000 event was the logical next step, although the announcement is likely to be met with mixed reviews.

John McEnroe said he didn’t agree with tennis going to Saudi Arabia in 2024

Speaking to Reuters last year, seven-time Grand Slam winner John McEnroe shared his thoughts on the growing relationship between tennis and Saudi Arabia.

“After what I saw happen in golf, I can’t say I’m totally surprised,” he said.

“I think everyone involved in tennis suspected this.

“I can’t honestly say at this point that I’m a big supporter of this. I don’t agree with it.”

When asked if he thought tennis could benefit from the money Saudi Arabia offers, McEnroe shared his skepticism.

“Is it going to be more money? Yes. Does that mean it’s better? Not necessarily. It depends on where that money is spent, where it goes,” he said.

“But even if it was, I don’t think that means it’s good automatically for the game because Saudi Arabia has a Masters 1000 event. 

“That doesn’t mean anything to me as far as whether it’s a net positive or negative. It harks back to people who have commitment to the game, a love for the game, and have a real idea of what the future is.”

McEnroe was particularly concerned about where the event would fit in the calendar, as rumours initially suggested that the event may be played before the Australian Open.

“I read recently they’re talking about an event before the Australian Open. That’s going to open up a whole can of worms. So we’ll see what develops,” he said.

“I’m not a big believer in having the tennis circuit go year-round. We need an off-season. Not only for players to recuperate, but for fans to recuperate. And this is something we’ve always had difficulty with.”

The 66-year-old will be glad to hear that the event may now be given a different spot in the calendar

Everything we know about the 2028 Saudi Arabian Masters 1000 event

We don’t know a lot about the event, but the following has been confirmed.

• The Saudi Arabian Masters will take place from 2028
• The tournament will be a one-week event (56-player draw)
• The tournament will be non-mandatory (Joining the Monte-Carlo Masters)

ATP president Andrea Gaudenzi commented on the event’s place in the calendar, suggesting it may take place in February.

“It’s one of the options we’re considering. What’s certain is that it will be in the first part of the season,” he said.

February is currently the only month of the tennis calendar without a ‘big’ tennis tournament (Grand Slam, Masters 1000, or ATP Finals).

Pushing back the two Middle Eastern tournaments (Qatar and Dubai) by a week could open up a gap at the end of the month to fit in the Saudi Arabian Masters.

The other option, placing the event before the Australian Open in January, would likely be met with far more criticism.

Other information has yet to be confirmed, such as the location of the event within Saudi Arabia.

The chances are that the tournament will take place in either Jeddah or Riyadh, two of the biggest cities in the country.

Both cities have hosted tennis tournaments recently, with the Six Kings Slam and WTA Finals taking place in Riyadh, and the Next Gen ATP Finals taking place in Jeddah.

It remains to be seen when more information will be released about the 2028 Saudi Arabian Masters, but it will certainly be worth keeping an eye on over the coming months.