Tim Henman says the Masters 1000 in Saudi Arabia from 2028 will be a great event, but questions why there isn’t a similar event on grass.
The country’s influence in tennis is growing, with Saudi Arabia hosting the WTA Finals, Next Generation ATP Finals and the lucrative Six Kings Slam exhibition, while sponsorship deals through its Public Investment Fund include the ATP and WTA Rankings and the WTA Maternity Program.
Now Saudi Arabia has achieved a major goal by securing a coveted spot on the Masters calendar – the top level of the men’s tour.
In the first expansion of the category, Saudi Arabia will join the existing nine tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris, with the aim of the new event running from 2028.
The exact point in the season at which it will take place remains to be determined, but ATP president Andrea Gaudenzi has cited February, when tournaments in Doha and Dubai are already taking place, as a high probability.
“I think the talk of a Saudi Masters 1000 event has been in the works for a long, long time, and there’s no doubt that Saudi Arabia is coming into the sport and I think tennis as a whole has wanted to embrace that idea, so I’m excited about that,” six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Henman he told Ski Sports.
“The date on the calendar was a bit of a challenge, but I’m sure it will be a great event when the Saudi 1000 is launched.
Elena Rybakina won the WTA final in Riyadh, but the tournament drew a sparse crowd to the 4,200-seat King Saud University
The ATP is looking at reducing the number of tournaments overall, with the Saudi Arabia tournament to align with Monte Carlo in just one week and not be mandatory.
However, the prize money and other perks on offer will almost certainly make it an event that no qualified player would want to skip.
Henman continued: “We watched the WTA Finals in Riyadh and it’s an event that is going from strength to strength, but I think if you’re going to have the best players in the world, I’m sure the fans will come and watch.
“When you look at what Saudi Arabia has done investing in all kinds of different sports, I’m sure the prize money will be absolutely in line with the other Masters 1000 events.”
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Tim Henman and Laura Robson discuss the ATP and VTA schedules and why things may need to change in the future
The announcement comes at a time when the length of the calendar and the demands on players are under intense scrutiny.
“Talking about scheduling and adding to the event is an interesting topic of conversation,” Henman said. “When you look at the pinnacle of the sport with four Grand Slams and Masters 1000s, I think that’s what we’re focusing our attention on, getting players to play in those big events, but maybe play less in those smaller events so there’s a clearer story – the best players are playing each other more often!”
“It’s another event on the calendar and I think there’s still work to be done, but I’m sure the Saudi Masters 1000 will be a good edition.”
Masters 1000 on grass?
The Masters 1000 tournaments are among the most prestigious tournaments after the four Grand Slams, three of which are held on clay and another six on hard courts each year, but none yet on grass.
“The Masters 1000 on grass is another talking point,” said Henman, who won the 2003 Paris Masters.
“I would like to see that, and there are Masters 1000 events on other surfaces, so why not on grass?”
“There are challenges around the facilities, looking at the calendar, there are three weeks between Roland Garros and Wimbledon, so that middle week would be an obvious opportunity, but it’s not that simple with the sanctions and everything that goes with it.”
“The principle of having the Masters 100 on grass – I would absolutely support that.
However, Laura Robson believes that holding a Masters 1000 event on grass is not possible due to logistics and infrastructure.
“You can try to build on a tournament that’s already there, but honestly I think the calendar is already so packed. Nobody’s looking for another Masters 1000,” said the former British No.1.
“It would certainly be nice because it’s the only surface that isn’t there, but at the same time it’s a very busy time of the season. There are some great options if you want to play the 500, but logistically it’s very, very difficult to have a grass court that can hold a Masters-level event, if you think about the size of the field first.
“There are very few permanent grass courts at all. I don’t think anyone is looking for that, it would be nice to compare with all the other Masters tournaments that are held and played on hard courts.”
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