The ATP men's tennis tour has announced that a new tournament in Saudi Arabia will be added to its top-tier Masters 1000 series in 2028 – the first new addition since the program launch 35 years ago.
The Kingdom will stage a tenth ATP Masters 1000 event each year, with ATP chair Andrea Gaudenzi telling media earlier today that it will be an outdoor, hard-court tournament, and that the tour is "definitely targeting the beginning of the season," in terms of calendar placement.
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The new tournament is being launched through a new partnership between men's tennis' ATP and SURJ Sports Investments, the sports arm of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
This signifies another step in PIF's expansion into tennis – the investment fund is already an ATP partner, through a February 2024 deal, while it also has a similar tie-up in place with women's tennis' WTA (signed last May).
It will join the other nine events already on the ATP Masters 1000 program, launched in 1990, in Indian Wells, Miami, and Cincinnati (US), Monte-Carlo (Monaco), Madrid (Spain), Rome (Italy), Toronto/Montreal (Canada), Shanghai (China), and Paris (France).
This year, the early part of the ATP Masters 1000 season comprised the tournaments in Indian Wells (held in early to mid-March), Miami (immediately following Indian Wells), and Monte-Carlo (in early to mid-April).
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By GlobalDataGaudenzi told the media that the event had been signed off by all necessary stakeholders, including players, and that following a two-year process – which he described as "very democratic" – the event's launch was "approved unanimously."
The new tournament will also join both the ATP itself and the other Masters 1000 events as a shareholder in the ATP Media venture that handles the Tour's broadcast and media operations.
Danny Townsend, chief executive at SURJ Sports Investments, added, however, that broadcast rights being awarded to global subscription streaming service DAZN, in which PIF also holds a stake – 10%, for $1 billion – was not automatic.
He commented: "Our investment in DAZN does not mean all our properties will land there, but I would encourage them to bid for tennis rights and to have those conversations with the ATP."
Townsend also said that, while "we never talk about the financial construct of these deals, we do have return thresholds we need to meet – this is about ensuring we get a return on this capital.
"Over the last couple of decades, the value of these licenses has gone up – we think we can build a whole tennis infrastructure around this, and a long-term future for the sport here."
In terms of whether the event will eventually end up as a WTA tournament as well, given the existing PIF tie-up, Gaudenzi explained that "expanding with the WTA is something that is up to SURJ," while Townsend simply said that "we're certainly committed to both men's and women's tennis – maybe the [current] structure, where we have to deal separately with the ATP and the WTA, won't be the same way forever."
These comments come with the Saudi capital of Riyadh currently hosting the end-of-season WTA Finals, through a deal covering the 2024-26 cycle (this comes after Jeddah hosted the Next Gen Finals of the ATP).
Townsend added: "The launch of an ATP Masters 1000 in Saudi Arabia is a defining moment in our journey to enhance the sports landscape. This tournament is more than an event; it is a statement of ambition, showcasing Saudi Arabia’s role as a global sports hub."
In terms of recent SURJ deals, that investment division unveiled a stake in the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) in late July, as part of that triathlon series' Series C funding round.
SURJ, established in 2023, is understood to have invested around $20 million to make its first move into triathlon.
The firm also has an investment in place with the Professional Fighters League, as well as with DAZN (announced in late February).
The PIF, as a whole, meanwhile, also has a controlling stake in English soccer side Newcastle United and four top-tier Saudi soccer clubs.
However, it is regularly criticized for being a vehicle through which Saudi Arabia – regularly ranked lowly in terms of human rights and freedom within the country – sportswashes its reputation.
