ATP Restructures Tennis Calendar with Saudi Investment

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The ATP is moving forward with significant changes to the men's tennis calendar, supported by Saudi investment funds. The governing body has already bought back the licenses of four ATP 250 tournaments and is in negotiations to reacquire the Argentina Open and Abierto Mexicano events. This restructuring is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and is part of the ATP's 'One Vision' strategy to streamline the calendar, reduce overcrowding, and provide players with a longer off-season.

Why it matters

The ATP's partnership with Saudi funds signals a deep transformation of the tennis calendar that will likely reshape the competitive landscape and force sacrifices from long-standing tournaments in favor of a more centralized and commercially driven structure. This move represents Saudi Arabia's growing ambitions to become a major player in professional tennis.

The details

The ATP has already bought back the licenses of four ATP 250 tournaments - the Chengdu Open and Hong Kong Open in China, the Moselle Open in Metz, France, and the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. The European Open in Brussels is also set to be sold to the Italian federation, with plans to move the event to mid-season and switch its surface to grass. The ATP is now in talks to reacquire the licenses of the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires and the Abierto Mexicano in Acapulco, which are seen as key to reorganizing the calendar to accommodate a new Masters 1000 event in Saudi Arabia.

• The ATP's restructuring plan is set to take effect starting in 2028.
• The ATP has already bought back the licenses of four ATP 250 tournaments.
• The European Open is set to be sold to the Italian federation and moved to mid-season with a switch to grass courts.

What’s next

The ATP is expected to continue negotiations with tournaments like Buenos Aires and Acapulco to finalize the calendar restructuring ahead of the 2028 implementation.