Saudi Arabia will host a new ATP Masters tournament, likely starting in 2028, in the first addition to the men's tennis tour's premium series since its founding 35 years ago.
The ATP announced the formation of a 10th Masters event on Thursday, but ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi wouldn't commit to a definitive year for the debut or an exact spot on the calendar. This expansion comes as players renew calls to reconsider a long and crowded schedule for the sport.
“All we can say at this stage,” Gaudenzi said on a video conference with reporters, “is that it’s going to be at the beginning of the season … first part of the season.”
He said he would like to put the 56-player, one-week tournament in February, after the Australian Open ends — calling that “the better outcome” — and ideally institute a system with a Middle East swing and South American swing going on during that portion of the year.
This is the latest in a series of moves to bring money from Saudi Arabia into tennis and bring the sport to the kingdom, including the ATP Next Gen Finals for up-and-coming players that is held in Jedda and the WTA Finals for the best women's tennis players held in Riyadh. The Public Investment Fund also sponsors both the women's and men's rankings.
Hall of Famers Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova have been among the critics of the sport’s ties to Saudi Arabia because of concerns about LGBTQ+ and women’s rights there.
Gaudenzi said the plan is to launch the Saudi Arabia Masters in 2028, with the dates announced sometime next year.
“The exact position on the calendar is not yet decided," he said. "Obviously, February is one of the options. … It is a possibility, but not decided yet.”
Danny Townsend, the CEO of SURJ Sports Investment, a PIF company, would not rule out that the new tournament could eventually join the growing ranks of two-week, joint events with both women and men.
“There are benefits from having both men and women playing at the same time. I know there’s uplifts in ticket sales, a bunch of other commercial elements that we would certainly want to better benefit from,” Townsend said. “But that’s all in the future. We’d certainly never say never and explore if it became an option.”
FILE - Andrea Gaudenzi kisses the trophy after defeating Markus Hipfl at an ATP Tennis tournament in St. Poelten, Austria, May 26, 2001. (AP Photo/Rubra, File)
FILE - Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo prepares to serve to Italy's Luciano Darderi during an Argentina Open ATP round 32 tennis match at the Guillermo Vilas Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello, file)
ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims from around the world congregated on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the second official day of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, considered the pinnacle of the Hajj.
Despite the sweltering heat, the pilgrims gathered on the rocky hill and surrounding plain for intense prayers and worship that often mark a spiritual peak for them. They fervently murmured prayers and poured their hearts out in supplications. Many raised their hands in worship. It is common for pilgrims on that day, some with tears streaming down their faces, to ask God for forgiveness, mercy, blessings and good health.
The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to perform it.
For pilgrims, the Hajj, performed over several days, can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. As they brave the intense heat to perform religious rituals, many pilgrims have been using umbrellas for shade.
A Saudi official said on Friday that more than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in the country from abroad.
This year, Muslims have been pouring into Saudi Arabia for the Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related uncertainty in the region.
The U.S. military said Monday that it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats used to lay mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations with Tehran were “proceeding nicely." Iran on Tuesday denounced the most recent U.S. strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations pressed on toward a possible deal to end the war.
For many, performing the Hajj can be a realization of a lifelong dream as they spend years hoping and praying to one day be able to undertake the pilgrimage or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.
“This happens once in a lifetime,” Mohammad Asal, an Egyptian pilgrim, said. “People here have prepared their prayers, hoping that God will respond to them, because we know that ... the most important ritual of the Hajj is being in Arafat.”
The Hajj brings together large numbers of Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages and socioeconomic classes, creating a sense of unity for many. It’s a mass, communal experience, with Muslims performing rituals together. But it is also deeply personal, as every pilgrim brings their own yearnings and experiences.
“It was incredible,” Ahmed Sufyan, a pilgrim from the United States, said on Tuesday. “The unity and peace that we feel is something I’ve never experienced before,” he added via WhatsApp.
“Our wishes are many,” Mohammad Obaid, a Sudanese pilgrim, said, adding he was praying for Sudan and Muslims everywhere.
Fam reported from Winter Park, Florida.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
A Muslim pilgrim pray atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Muslim pilgrims walk towards the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Muslim pilgrims are silhouetted as they pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Muslim pilgrims pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Muslim pilgrims read a copy of Islam's holy book Quran atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
