© Getty Images Sport – Alexander Scheuber
Saudi Arabia is reportedly set to have talks with the ATP regarding the possibility of getting a Masters 1000 tournament leading up to the Australian Open, according to The Times. Next week, the ATP Finals will be taking place in Turin.
According to the report, the ATP and Saudi representatives will discuss the possibility of staging a Masters tournament in 2025 leading up to the Australian Open. It is believed that the proposal worth almost half a billion dollars.
For many years, the first Masters of the season has been taking place in March in Indian Wells. If Saudi Arabia indeed gets the rights to host a Masters 1000 tournament leading up to the Australian Open, that could possibly threaten a number of tournaments that are currently taking place leading up to the Australian Open – the United Cup, Adelaide, Auckland, and Pune.
Saudi Arabia wants more after getting the Next Gen ATP Finals
In August, it was announced that Jeddah would be the host city for the Next Gen ATP Finals between 2023 and 2027. “The ATP Tour is truly global and exploring new markets is central to growing the game.
Bringing the Next Gen ATP Finals to Jeddah is our chance to inspire new fans, in a region with a vast young population, and unite audiences around tennis. Our congratulations go to Jeddah and the Saudi Tennis Federation. We look forward to building on the event’s incredible success together,” Gaudenzi said in a statement at the time.
For Saudi Arabia, it was a historic move since it will be the first time that they will be hosting an official men’s tennis tournament. “We are extremely proud that ATP has selected Jeddah to host such an important tennis event.
The Next Gen ATP Finals embodies the philosophy of our Federation, which is to inspire young talent to reach the sport’s highest levels. We’re excited to collaborate to promote the ATP Tour’s most promising rising stars, and showcase new sporting innovations, in our special city of Jeddah,” Saudi Tennis Federation President Arij Mutabagani said in a statement.
