December 22, 2024
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has been officially announced as the host city of the Next Gen ATP Finals, from 2023-2027. The tournament will take place over five days at the King Abdullah Sports City on indoor hard court from 28 November-2 December 2023, with a record US $2 million prize money on offer, following five successful editions of the tournament in Milan, Italy.
The ATP’s announcement follows a competitive bid process launched in March 2023, with the support of Deloitte’s Sport Business Group. The process evaluated host cities from multiple regions against criteria including venue, international connectivity, and potential to grow professional tennis in a new market.
In addition to delivering record prize money for players, Jeddah’s successful bid, led by the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF), makes history as the first official professional tennis event to take place in Saudi Arabia. It builds on a more than 30-year presence in the Middle East for the ATP Tour.
ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said: “The ATP Tour is truly global and exploring new markets is central to growing the game. Bringing the Next Gen ATP Finals to Jeddah is our chance to inspire new fans, in a region with a vast young population, and unite audiences around tennis. Our congratulations go to Jeddah and the Saudi Tennis Federation. We look forward to building on the event’s incredible success together.”
Tennis is at a major inflection point in Saudi Arabia. Recreational clinics are at full capacity across the country, reflecting STF’s commitment to raising awareness and fostering interest among Saudi’s young, sport-enthusiastic population. Ambitious participation targets, an increase in the number of international tennis competitions, and establishing tennis as the marquee gender-equal sport in Saudi Arabia, have all been set as objectives in line with Vision 2030, which aspires to turn the Kingdom into a major sports, entertainment and tourism hub.
Arij Mutabagani, President of the Saudi Tennis Federation, said: “We are extremely proud that ATP has selected Jeddah to host such an important tennis event. The Next Gen ATP Finals embodies the philosophy of our Federation, which is to inspire young talent to reach the sport’s highest levels. We’re excited to collaborate to promote the ATP Tour’s most promising rising stars, and showcase new sporting innovations, in our special city of Jeddah.”
The Next Gen ATP Finals, first launched in 2017, has established itself as one of the highlights of the tennis season, showcasing the world’s best 21-and-under players in a fast-paced year-end format. Notably, nine of the current Top 10 players in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings having competed at the event, highlighting its role in showcasing the future stars of the sport. Past champions like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have used the event as a stepping-stone to further success in their careers.
The event also serves as a platform to test rule changes, new technologies and innovations in the sport, many of which have gone on to be incorporated on the ATP Tour.
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