“The Saudi sport washing continues then” – ATP set to start new Masters-1000 event in Saudi Arabia as warm-up for the 2025 Australian Open, fans revolt

Fans on Twitter rage against the ATP's idea of including a new Masters event in Saudi Arabia, fearing that it will lead to the downfall of tennis.

“The Saudi sport washing continues then” – ATP set to start new Masters-1000 event in Saudi Arabia as warm-up for the 2025 Australian Open, fans revolt

(L-R) Carlos Alcaraz, Massimo Calvelli and Novak Djokovic. (Credits: Marca.com, SportsPro Media, CNN)

As Saudi Arabia is on the brink of making its mark in tennis, a lot of concerns have been raised by fans and tennis stars recently. After nearly conquering sports such as golf, Formula 1, and football, they have now set their eyes on making Saudi Arabia the place for tennis.

Notably, rumors persisting about a new Masters 1000 event being created soon have been making the rounds on the internet. 

With the Saudi Arabia Masters Tour currently under contention and the board trying to start the event in January 2025, right before the Australian Open, fans on Twitter rage in anger about the sport being completely inculcated with Saudi money. 

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The Italian Tennis Federation president, Angelo Binaghi, even expressed his views on the matter, saying:

I hope that the Masters 1000 they will have in January 2025 will satisfy their “tennis cravings".

Binaghi was the first to reveal that Saudi Arabia will be hosting the ATP Next Gen Finals in 2023. Now that he has been talking about the new Masters being added to the calendar, the rumors are far from being vague and fake. 

Fans fear that the United Cup, which happens ahead of the Australian Open, will lose its place, and ATP has received widespread criticism all around the world on social media for their talks with Saudi Arabia.

What is the downside of this upcoming Saudi Arabia Masters?

The Saudi Arabian Masters event will be lined up just a week before the Australian Open as a decent warmup for players in the new year. Where every single tennis player in the new year travels to parts of Australia and New Zealand for different tours ahead of the first Grand Slam, the start of a new Masters event would mean extra travel for these players, leading to more fatigue and tiredness.

A tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia. (credits: Diriyah Tennis Cup)

Sharing a wide spectrum of reactions online, here’s what fans have to say:

https://twitter.com/ukaszLewandowi1/status/1721894362425307264

There are also concerns about the removal of the United Cup if the Saudi Arabian Masters is approved by ATP. In a busy schedule, in order to fit another Masters tournament, ATP will need to swap it with an existing tournament, and many fear that the historic and one of the oldest competitions, the United Cup, will have to make way for the new Masters event. 

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