Report: ATP may send NextGen event to cash-flush Saudi

The ATP NextGen Finals may soon be on the move to the Saudi city of Jeddah after running since 2017 in Milan.

London’s Telegraph quoted sources as saying a five-year contract with the kingdom is all but a done deal, with no figures released on how high the bidding war for rights might have gone.

The harsh Islamic country has been throwing cash around the sports world in what many would describe as “sportswashing”  – take LIV golf – by a regime which is far from keen on  personal freedom, women’s rights and political dissent.

But tennis officials are no doubt eyeing the commercial opportunities which are sure to become available – even in a desert country with no tennis tradition at all.

The eight-man tournament is also likely to be moved from November to December, with ATP officials spinning the proposed change as a convenient stop on the way to Australia for next January’s Southern tennis summer.

The Saudi sovereign wealth fund, which funds the controversial LIV golf, has dipped its toes into tennis, staging a big-money exhibition last December in which Taylor Fritz walked away with a USD 1 million winner’s cheque for playing three matches.

Main photo:- Carlos Alcaraz won 2021 NextGen trophy – by ATP Tour

GrandSlam Online

Recent Posts

Nadal goes down in final match

Rafael Nadal lined up for what was to be the final match of his career…

2 days ago

Sinner flattens de Minaur in runaway home start

Jannik Sinner took charge in front of his home crowd on Sunday, crushing ATP Finals…

2 weeks ago

Madcap Medvedev suffers temperamental Turin Finals loss

Daniil Medvedev went into meltdown mode on Sunday during a highly charged 6-4, 6-3 loss, with opponent…

2 weeks ago

Team Sinner considering skipping Monte Carlo

Jannik Sinner could well be missing from the opening European clay event of next season…

2 weeks ago

Davis Cup Final to mark Nadal goodbye to tennis

Rafael Nadal will bring down the curtain on his career next month as he plays his…

1 month ago

Wimbledon lowers the boom on human linecalling

Wimbledon on Wednesday brought an end to human linecalling at the most traditional of the…

1 month ago