From the ATP, we want the tour in the Middle East and another in South America to coexist, but

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 30 Oct 2025 | 10.41

Andrea Gaudenzi, touring in South America. Photo: gettyimages

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Once the official announcement was made that there will be a new Masters 1000 starting in 2028 and will be held in 2028, the concern of all tennis fans is what might happen to the South American tour in February. Andrea Gaudenzi has outlined the priorities of the ATP for a complete calendar overhaul.

The tennis world is changing rapidly, and in 2028, there will be a complete overhaul that will mark a turning point in the history of this sport. The insistence of Saudi Arabia on acquiring a prominent role in the ATP calendar has been met with an agreement that involves significant changes and a major challenge for Andrea Gaudenzi, the ATP Chairman. His tenure will go down in history, and he has the responsibility of orchestrating a transition towards an entirely new scenario.

This is how Gaudenzi plans to reshape the ATP calendar in 2028

From his statements in a comprehensive article in TheNationalNews, it is clear where things are heading. Apparently, the company Surj Sports, acting on behalf of PIF, the Saudi sovereign fund, has allocated a massive monetary sum to be used for purchasing licenses of ATP 250 and ATP 500 level tournaments, in order to reduce the number of events at that level on the calendar and prioritize the Masters 1000.

It is known that this new tournament in Saudi Arabia will span a week, feature a 56-player draw, and will not be mandatory - similar to Monte Carlo. The exact dates are still unofficial, but the intention is for it to take place in February. This directly conflicts with the South American clay court tour. "Our preference is for it to be held in February, but it's a busy month, there are some limitations, and we will need the assistance of TennisAustralia to make it happen," stated Gaudenzi.

The priority is to have the Middle East and the South American clay court tours coexist

These words are already seen as a plea to the institution governing all events to be held in January. Possibly, Gaudenzi aims to decrease the number of tournaments in that month or to start earlier, so the entire month of February is available for his ideal scenario. "Our goal is for two tours to coexist in February: one in the Middle East, with the new Masters 1000, and one in South America," declared the Italian.

Therefore, tournaments like Rotterdam, Montpellier, Dallas, Delray Beach, and Acapulco would be at serious risk, limiting the activity to Doha and Dubai tournaments as a prelude to the new Masters 1000 in Saudi Arabia, and a clay court tour with Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires as strongholds, along with the uncertainty of Santiago de Chile. "We need time to assess the ideal way to proceed," Gaudenzi affirmed.

It is evident that with a Masters 1000 tournament, it will be very challenging for top-level players to travel to South America to compete on a different surface and forego participating in an event with a significantly high prize money, like the preceding tournaments in Doha and Dubai. While Andrea Gaudenzi's intention for the South American tour's continuation is positive, it would be in a position of great vulnerability, relying on local players and those outside the top 50 who do not have direct access to the new Masters 1000.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Desde la ATP, queremos que convivan la gira por Oriente Medio y otra por Sudamérica, pero..."

Andrea Gaudenzi