Men’s tennis is about to look different. Behind the scenes the ATP is moving pieces to remake the calendar and carve out room for a new big event. President Andrea Gaudenzi’s aim is simple: a shorter, cleaner tour that puts the biggest tournaments front and centre.
But beneath that push to slim the season there’s a harsher truth. A Masters 1000 in Riyadh, pencilled in for 2028, is forcing the ATP to buy up several existing tournament licences. It’s a deep reshuffle that could redraw the global calendar — and leave whole regions sidelined.
A shorter calendar, a clearer pecking order
For years the ATP has been preaching the same sermon: the calendar’s clogged. Too many events, not enough downtime, and a muddled pecking order between tournaments.
The plan’s straightforward. Put the Slams and the Masters 1000 at the heart of the tour, and quietly shrink the secondary events. On paper it promises a cleaner season for fans and a longer off-season for players.
And they’re not just talking. The ATP’s already started buying up ATP 250 licences. Chengdu, Hong Kong, Metz and even Moscow — off the calendar since 2022 — are among the events targeted.
Low-key moves with big consequences. Those buyouts are the first signs of a full-scale circuit redesign.
The Saudi push muscling into tennis
Saudi Arabia is staking its claim. After football, F1 and boxing, the kingdom now wants a slice of world tennis. And the ATP looks willing to open the door.
Behind closed doors the men’s tour is working with SURJ Sports Investment, a Saudi investment fund, to redraw parts of the schedule. The idea is to buy several existing tournament licences. Names floated include Buenos Aires (ATP 250) and Acapulco (ATP 500).
All of this with one clear goal: free up space for a Masters 1000 in Riyadh, which the ATP would like to stage as soon as February 2028.
On paper it’s tempting. In practice it’s divisive. Because if you add one you have to take away another — and that raises a simple question: which tournaments will disappear to make room?
South America in the crosshairs
Not every region stands to keep pace in this game of musical chairs. Right now South America looks most at risk.
The South American clay swing in February, long an important stop for players, could be weakened if Riyadh gets a slot. If the Saudi event wins its place on the calendar, some tournaments might vanish or be downgraded.
That prospect is already making people nervous in the region. These events aren’t just competitions — they’re vital showcases for growing tennis locally.
A puzzle far from solved
On paper the ATP’s blueprint is tidy: four Slams, ten Masters 1000s and a trimmed set of 500 and 250 events. Cleaner structure, easier for fans to follow, and probably more attractive globally.
But every tournament comes with economic ties, local partners and deep roots. The talks are going to be long and ugly.
One thing’s certain: with 2028 looming, the global tennis calendar is becoming a giant jigsaw. And one city is already taking centre stage.
Riyadh.
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