The ATP revealed this Friday the calendar for the 2025 season, without the expected Masters 1,000 in Saudi Arabia, which will have to be content for now with the celebration of the Next Gen Finalsthe exhibition tournament that brings together the eight best U21 players of the year.
The new calendar includes the expansion of the Masters 1,000 in Canada and Cincinnati to twelve-day tournaments, thus joining the tournaments in Rome, Madrid, Shanghai, Indian Wells and Miami, who have already adapted this format in the past. Only Monte Carlo and Paris-Bercy, within the Masters 1,000, remain ten-day tournaments.
In addition, the number of ATP 500 is expanded from thirteen in 2024 to 16, following the improvement of Dallas, Doha and Munich.
The ATP Finals will continue in Turin, as planned until 2027and the Next Gen Finals will be played in Jeddah for the third consecutive edition.
As for the minor tournaments, Estoril disappearsplayed on clay on the European tour prior to Roland Garros, the one from Córdoba (Argentina), moves to Mallorca and will be played on grass in the run-up to Wimbledon, Hamburg (ATP 500) will go from being played in July to being played in May, before Roland Garros, and The ATP 250 in Los Cabos goes from being played in February to July.
Saudi Arabia, which has already obtained several sponsorship contracts with the ATP, intends to establish a tenth Masters 1,000 that would be held before the Australian Open in Januarybut this will have to wait until at least 2026.
Besides, The Saudis will hold an exhibition, called ‘Six Kings Slams’, in October, in which, among others, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will participate. Alcaraz and the Serbian already played an exhibition there at the end of 2023.
Saudi Arabia also intends to add to its portfolio the WTA Finals, which were held last year in Cancunnot exempt from controversy due to the catastrophic conditions in which the event was held.
2024-03-22 14:50:10
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