Tim Henman welcomed the addition of a Masters 1000 event in Saudi Arabia from 2028, calling it a ‘great event’, but questioned why the ATP calendar still has no equivalent at Wimbledon’s grass surface.
Saudi Arabia’s footprint in tennis has expanded rapidly — hosting the WTA Finals, the Next Gen ATP Finals and the Six Kings Slam exhibition, while the Public Investment Fund has agreed major sponsorships covering ATP and WTA rankings and the WTA maternity programme. The country has now secured the first-ever expansion of the Masters 1000 tier, adding a tournament to stand alongside Indian Wells, Miami, Monte‑Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris.
The event’s precise slot is not yet finalised. ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi has indicated February is a strong possibility — a window already occupied by Doha and Dubai — though the Saudi organisers have suggested the tournament will be a one-week event aligned with Monte‑Carlo and not mandatory for players. Even so, its prize money and other incentives are expected to attract top players.
Henman said the idea had been under discussion for some time and that tennis broadly welcomed Saudi involvement. He expects the new Masters to work commercially and sportingly: if the world’s best players attend, he argued, spectators will follow.
At the same time Henman framed the debate about the calendar around the sport’s marquee events. He urged a sharper focus on the four Grand Slams and the Masters 1000s, suggesting the tour could benefit from fewer smaller tournaments so the best players meet more often and the season has a clearer narrative.
Henman also raised the longstanding question of a grass-court Masters 1000. Currently there are three Masters on clay and six on hard courts, with none on grass. He said a grass Masters would make sense in principle and noted the three-week gap between Roland‑Garros and Wimbledon might offer an opening, though practical issues such as facilities and scheduling complications would need to be resolved.
Former British No. 1 Laura Robson voiced scepticism. She pointed to logistical obstacles, limited permanent grass venues and an already crowded calendar, arguing that while a grass Masters would be appealing in theory, upgrading an existing event or adding a new one would be difficult and it’s not something players are currently demanding.
For reference, the nine existing ATP Masters 1000 tournaments are: Indian Wells, Miami, Monte‑Carlo, Madrid, Rome (Italian Open), Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris.
The arrival of a Saudi Masters 1000 marks a notable reshaping of the Masters tier and intensifies debates about where key events should be placed, how many tournaments top players should be expected to contest, and whether tennis should pursue a grass‑court Masters to complete the surface spread.