In October 2025, the ATP took a major step into Saudi Arabia, partnering with PIF’s SURJ Sports Investment to launch a brand-new Masters 1000 event. It marks the first expansion of that elite category in the ATP Tour’s 35-year history. As reported by The Times’ Stuart Fraser, ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said his aim is “to reduce the total number of tournaments and have a longer off-season.” But not everyone agrees.

The tournament is scheduled to debut in 2028, but skepticism is already building as players continue to raise concerns about an increasingly packed calendar. In an interview with Saša Ozm, Clay Magazine shared Yevgeny Kafelnikov’s reaction when asked about the new Saudi-based Masters 1000 being added from 2028, specifically at the expense of ATP 250 events.

“You need to promote the game where it’s already popular,” the 51-year-old said.

Kafelnikov made it clear that his concern isn’t just about Saudi Arabia, but about priorities. He pointed, “People in South America, in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, they love tennis and they’ve earned the right to have tournaments.” His broader point was simple that the sport should reward places where tennis culture already runs deep.

However, when it came to Saudi Arabia, Kafelnikov didn’t mince words. While he said, “I’m not against it in principle,” he took issue with what he sees as money fast-tracking influence. In his view, landing a Masters 1000 largely because of financial power “isn’t fair,” especially when other regions have supported the Tour for decades.

“But for them to just jump in and get an event because they have a shitload of money, they can use banknotes instead of toilet paper… that’s not fair,” Kafelnikov said.

In the end, he doubled down by questioning the logic behind removing long-standing events. Kafelnikov argued that tournaments that have “sustained and promoted the Tour for forty years” shouldn’t be pushed aside just because another market can offer more money. If that trend continues, he warned, the long-term future of tennis becomes uncertain.

That debate naturally leads to player workload, which remains a hot-button issue. Right now, Monte Carlo is the only Masters 1000 event that isn’t mandatory. If players were to skip the new Saudi tournament, they wouldn’t lose their share of the bonus pool and could still recover ranking points elsewhere under current rules.

The Saudi Masters 1000 itself is expected to be a one-week event, with the venue yet to be announced. It will be part of a revamped 2028 calendar that could wrap up at least a week earlier, as the ATP looks to streamline the end of the season and reduce congestion.

Meanwhile, the quiet trimming of ATP 250 events is already underway. The Tour had 42 of them in 2022, but that number has dropped to 30 and is expected to stay there through 2026. Ultimately, during the ATP Finals, Andrea Gaudenzi noted that only ten weeks per year will be reserved for lower-tier tournaments, a move that hints at deeper cuts ahead.

Why Saudi Arabia wants a seat at tennis’ top table

Speaking to The National on November 25, SURJ Sports Investment CEO Danny Townsend explained the thinking behind Saudi Arabia’s future ATP Masters 1000 event. At its core, the decision was driven by long-term value. As he put it, investing in sports intellectual property means backing assets with a proven track record, and the Masters 1000 category has consistently shown “a history of growth.”

Townsend emphasized that the investment case was clear from the start. Masters 1000 tournaments have steadily increased in enterprise value over time, making them an attractive and relatively secure opportunity. From his perspective, securing one wasn’t just ambitious, it was, first and foremost, “a good investment” with a strong return profile.

That approach fits into a wider global trend in sports. Leagues and tours are actively pushing into new markets, and tennis is no exception. With its international reach accelerating, Saudi Arabia sees itself as part of that expansion, positioning the Kingdom at the heart of tennis’ next phase of global growth.

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For Townsend, the plan goes beyond short-term financial gains. He stressed that SURJ’s broader mandate focuses on “sustainable growth” across the sports sector. Owning a tournament, rather than simply hosting one, allows the group to build something more stable and influential over time.

So now, with the new Masters 1000 on the horizon, Saudi Arabia will add to a region already gaining momentum in tennis. So what are your thoughts on what Yevgeny Kafelnikov said?