Fans Slam ATP for Adding Saudi Arabia Masters 1000 to Already Hectic Calendar – “Players Will Be Fuming”

Players, including the top 10 ones, are concerned about the 11-month calendar and have been complaining a lot about not having enough time to rest their bodies. Even World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz has time and again censured the schedule, once saying it could “kill” them in some ways.

Amid all these, the ATP, instead of solving players’ problems, has added one more big tournament to the calendar. Saudi Arabia will be hosting a Masters 1000 tournament from 2028.

The new Masters 1000 will be launched by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) company SURJ Sports Investment. It’s the first time in 35 years that the Masters 1000s will be expanded, with Saudi Arabia becoming the 10th host.

The already existing nine Masters 1000 tournaments are: Indian Wells, Miami Open, Monte Carlo Masters, Madrid Open, Italian Open, Canadian Open, Cincinnati Masters, Shanghai Masters, and Paris Masters.

Those who are complaining can heave a sigh of relief because the Saudi event will last for only a week and doesn’t fall under the mandatory tournament category. But the event is expected to be a lucrative one, so players are eventually going to find it hard to miss it.

This is a proud moment for us and the result of a journey that’s been years in the making. Saudi Arabia has shown a genuine commitment to tennis – not just at the professional level, but also in growing the game more broadly at all levels. PIF’s ambition for the sport is clear, and we believe fans and players alike will be amazed by what’s coming.

ATP CEO Andrea Gaudenzi said in a statement

The exact month when the Saudi event will be held is yet to be decided. It will be a 56-player draw.

Fans slam the ATP for adding another tournament to the calendar

Fans criticized both the ATP and the players. They think they will hear more about players’ complaints in the next few years, but are also convinced that players will sign up for the event because of the prize money it will offer.

Check out some of the reactions from fans here:

Wow. They players that are already complaining about the schedule are going to love this.

— Lee Mc (@leemcevoy1972) October 23, 2025

LOOOOL players said “our calendar is overwhelming. It’s leading to fatigue and injuries” and ATP replied with “we’ve heard your concerns, here’s another tournament in the calendar” https://t.co/zTxV5lWevr pic.twitter.com/V3T5mTWudH

— Santoryuu T (@QuirklessBaddie) October 23, 2025

So the solution to players complaining about an already over packed schedule is to add another Masters 1000🤔

— Kayla Bashu (@BashuKayla) October 23, 2025

Players: "Too many tournaments, tournaments are too long, the schedule is too much, the season is too long, you're killing us."

ATP: "Yeah, totally, I hear you, I hear you. Anyway, here's another mandatory tournament to squeeze in to your schedule."

— Recoba (@astuaryking) October 23, 2025

I’m sure the players on ATP will be fuming! Oh wait, they’ll just take the Saudi’s money and complain in October about how unfair and difficult the schedule is.

— Jamie Webster (@jamiejwebster7) October 23, 2025

It seems like Gaudenzi has a long-term plan for the ATP which he is hell-bent on implementing, come what may.

— Sports, art, politics and culture (@sangeetapremi) October 23, 2025

So another 2 weeks to an already tiring tennis calendar. Yup, that will TOTALLY be good for players' health and well-being.

— Damian Andrews-Wilson (@thedla36) October 23, 2025

If the ATP doesn't relax the tournament appearance requirements there won't be anyone healthy enough to play! At any of the tournaments. Talk about riding the horses into the ground.

— Gaijin Kingpin (@VirginiaMusings) October 23, 2025

Recently, Holger Rune ruptured his Achilles tendon, and the entire blame, Rune’s mother Aneke Rune, gave it to the cramped schedule. Even former player Andy Roddick, on his Served podcast, has criticized the schedule. Novak Djokovic, who no longer cares for ranking points – and because of which he is skipping tournaments, including the mandatory ones – believes there’s a lack of unity on the men’s tour while addressing the scheduling problems.

Jack Draper, Casper Ruud, and Taylor Fritz also want the ATP to shorten the calendar. And because of the long calendar, World No.2 Jannik Sinner chose to skip the Davis Cup, only to attract a great deal of criticism from the Italian tennis community.

Andrea Gaudenzi on players’ scheduling complaints

ATP CEO Andrea Gaudenzi also thinks the scheduling problem is very complex. During a press conference, he pointed out that players don’t have to play every tournament as they have the freedom to choose.

It’s an extremely complex problem to solve; it’s almost you could argue impossible problem to solve until there is someone who controls the full stack of the calendar.

Players complain that skipping events, especially the mandatory ones, will affect their rankings. And this, they believe, forces them to play.

But it’s also a hard conversation vis-a-vis players to say, ‘we play too much’, when, ultimately, in reality, they choose when and where to play. I do agree that the off-season is too short.

Andrea Gaudenzi added

Then those advocating for a long calendar call out players, who, despite their complaints, choose to play exhibitions. Recently, the Six Kings Slam was concluded in Riyadh, where six top players participated, including the winner Sinner and runner-up Alcaraz.

Also read: Elena Rybakina Admits her “Last Push” For a Place in the WTA Finals has Taken a Toll on her