Tennis News

PIF's Surj Sports Investment partners with ATP in first-ever expansion of the Masters 1000 category in ATP Tour's 35-year history

ATP and SURJ Sports Investment, a PIF company, have today announced the launch of an all-new ATP Masters 1000 tournament, to be hosted in Saudi Arabia.

In what is the first-ever expansion of the tournament category, Saudi Arabia will become the tenth ATP Masters 1000 host, joining the existing nine tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Toronto/Montreal, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris. The Saudi tournament will begin as early as 2028.

The agreement marks a new era for global tennis and a major sports transformation in Saudi Arabia, bringing the most celebrated names in the sport to the country and delivering an unforgettable experience for fans.

The hosting of the tenth ATP Masters 1000 event underscores PIF’s long-term commitment to shaping the future of international tennis and global sport, and elevating Saudi Arabia’s position as a premier global sports and entertainment hub. The deal builds on the existing strategic partnership between PIF and ATP, which includes PIF as the official naming partner of the PIF ATP Rankings (as well as the WTA rankings), partnering on several key ATP Tour events and the recent launch of a next-generation technology platform, ATP Tennis IQ Powered by PIF. As part of the agreement, the new event will join ATP and the existing Masters 1000 tournaments as a shareholder in ATP Media, the Tour’s global broadcast and media arm.

The tournament will also focus on accelerating the growth of the game at all levels. A nationwide grassroots programme, developed in partnership with the Saudi Tennis Federation, will promote inclusivity, accessibility, and talent development, inspiring the next generation of Saudi athletes and champions and creating robust pathways for participation. This supports part of PIF’s broader ambition to grow sport at all levels, and to help drive the development of tennis across both the men’s and women’s game.

Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, commented: “This is a proud moment for us and the result of a journey that’s been years in the making. Saudi Arabia has shown a genuine commitment to tennis – not just at the professional level, but also in growing the game more broadly at all levels. PIF’s ambition for the sport is clear, and we believe fans and players alike will be amazed by what’s coming. Strengthening our premium events is driving record growth and transformation across the Tour, and we’re grateful to our partners at PIF and SURJ for helping deliver that growth and sharing in this vision.”

Bander Bin Mogren, Chairman of SURJ Sports Investment, said: “Bringing an ATP Masters 1000 event to Saudi Arabia is a major step forward for tennis in the region and a reflection of our shared commitment with ATP to the growth of the game around the world. This announcement underscores Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a major destination for world-class sport and strengthens our ambition to support athletes, fans, and the wider tennis community for years to come. We are proud to be leading this effort with our partners, and we are committed to delivering a tournament that leaves a lasting legacy for the sport.”

Danny Townsend, CEO of SURJ Sports Investment, added: “The launch of an ATP Masters 1000 in Saudi Arabia is a defining moment in our journey to enhance the sports landscape. This tournament is more than an event; it is a statement of ambition, showcasing Saudi Arabia’s role as a global sports hub. In partnership with ATP, we are committed to creating an extraordinary experience for players and fans, while advancing our mission to develop sport at every level.”

Sports is a key strategic sector for PIF, unlocking opportunities and enriching lives while establishing Saudi Arabia as a global destination for sports and a driver of long-term economic growth. PIF supports a wide range of sports globally and domestically, including football/soccer, tennis, golf, electric motorsports, combat sports and esports both to drive sports’ global growth and encourage participation domestically.

With Riyadh having hosted the WTA Finals since 2024 and Jeddah as the home of the Next Gen ATP Finals since 2023, this latest announcement is set to strengthen the country’s connection with tennis and inspire an emerging fanbase with yet another glimpse of the world’s best players.

More details on the tournament venue and dates will be announced in due course.

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Xu through to Wrexham Open quarter-finals

Wales’ Mimi Xu books her spot in the Wrexham Open quarter-finals with a straight sets win over Andre Lukosiute.

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Fritz freezes Vacherot's heat in Basel: No fairytale this time!

Taylor Fritz felt the full weight of Valentin Vacherot’s meteoric rise on Wednesday at the Swiss Indoors Basel, but the top seed refused to become the latest casualty of the Monegasque’s breakout.

In his first outing since becoming the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion in Shanghai, Vacherot unleashed his fearless, all-court aggression to rattle Fritz early. The American, however, dug deep for a gritty 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 comeback victory in their first-round clash at the indoor hard-court ATP 500 event.

After squandering four set points on return at 5-3 in the second set and dropping serve in the next game, Fritz steadied himself, racing to an ultimately unassailable 4/0 lead in the tie-break. Continuing the topsy-turvy nature of their clash, Fritz then let slip a 4-2 lead in the deciding set, but he once again regrouped in dramatic fashion to close a nervy win.

“As we played the match, I started to see why those conditions [in Shanghai] suit him very well,” Fritz said of Vacherot. “When the balls got worn out and it slowed down a lot, that’s when he was controlling me the most and dominating me. In the last game, I was able to get the break on new balls. I was more in control of the match when it was playing a bit faster.”

Vacherot, the No. 204 player in the PIF ATP Rankings three weeks ago, stormed through qualifying in Shanghai before stunning the field — including Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals — en route to his maiden ATP Tour title. Now perched inside the World’s Top 40, he couldn’t quite conjure another shock against the resilient Fritz.

With his two-hour, 36-minute triumph, Fritz extended his flawless 12-0 record in hard-court openers this season, taking another confident stride towards securing a return to the Nitto ATP Finals. Last year’s runner-up is currently fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and boasts a 51-16 record in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

Fritz will next face last week’s Stockholm finalist Ugo Humbert, who continued his form with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Sebastian Korda. The Frenchman has now won 14 of his past 16 indoor matches, highlighted by his run to the ATP Masters 1000 final in Paris last year and his Marseille title in February.

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud both earned crucial first-round wins on Wednesday in their bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Auger-Aliassime overcame countryman and good friend Gabriel Diallo 6-2, 7-5, while Ruud moved past lucky loser Quentin Halys 6-1, 7-6(3).

With respective titles last week in Brussels and Stockholm, Auger-Aliassime and Ruud have ramped up the pressure on eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti — who is competing in Vienna this week — in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Auger-Aliassime is ninth and Ruud is 11th, but 10th-placed Jack Draper is out of action for the rest of the season through injury.

“He [Diallo] is a hell of a player,” said Auger-Aliassime, who won consecutive Basel titles in 2022-23. “It was tough to play such a good friend, a bit awkward… I don’t think I have ever been so nervous at the start of a match. Throughout the year we are messaging each other, cheering each other up. It’s amazing that we get to play against each other on the ATP Tour.”

In the second round in Basel, Auger-Aliassime next faces qualifier Marin Cilic and Ruud takes on 40-year-old Swiss wild card Stan Wawrinka, who won their only prior Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting at this event in 2022.

Lucky Botic van de Zandschulp also booked his spot in the second round on Wednesday with an imposing 6-2, 6-2 win over in-form Jiri Lehecka, who reached last week’s Brussels final. Joao Fonseca advanced to the quarter-finals after fellow #NextGenATP star Jakub Mensik was forced to withdraw from their clash with a left foot injury.

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Sinner notches fastest win of 2025 in Vienna opener

Jannik Sinner kick-started his Erste Bank Open campaign in striking fashion on Wednesday, when he soared past Daniel Altmaier 6-0, 6-2 to record his quickest victory of 2025.

The top seed and 2023 Vienna champion overwhelmed Altmaier from the outset with his heavy ballstriking and imposing pace, racing to the finish in just 58 minutes. Sinner, who was forced to retire from the third round of his Shanghai title defence earlier this month, extended his winning streak on indoor hard courts to 17 matches.

Cheat codes unlocked 🎮✨@janniksin pulls off a flick shot you’ll need to see to believe!@ErsteBankOpen | #ErsteBankOpen pic.twitter.com/8DP2BfJChf

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 22, 2025

“I feel like in the first set everything was working very well,” said Sinner. “On indoor courts, you have to be very careful. If your opponent starts to serve well, it’s very difficult to break. But I’m very happy about today’s performance, starting the tournament in a very positive way, not only gamewise but feeling wise.”

Sinner’s previous fastest win of the season came in his opener in Cincinnati, where he blitzed Daniel Elahi Galan in 59 minutes. Against Altmaier at the ATP 500 event in Vienna, the 24-year-old Italian hit 19 winners to just seven unforced errors and did not face a break point, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

After improving to 29-0 in the opening rounds since Cincinnati in 2023, Sinner will next meet countryman Flavio Cobolli, who moved past Tomas Machac 7-6(6), 6-2.

Watch Extended Highlights from Wednesday’s action:

Last week’s Almaty champion Daniil Medvedev overcame Nuno Borges 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-2 to keep alive his late-season push to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. After letting slip two match points in the second-set tie-break, Medvedev regrouped in impressive fashion to begin his title bid in Vienna, where he last lifted the trophy in 2022.

The former Nitto ATP Finals champion is 13th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and could meet eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti in a blockbuster quarter-final clash in Vienna. First, Medvedev faces a rematch of the Almaty final against Corentin Moutet, who earlier eased past qualifier Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-0.

Matteo Berrettini, the 2019 Vienna semi-finalist, opened centre court action on Wednesday with a 7-6(5), 6-3 win over Alexei Popyrin. Standing in the Italian’s way of a fourth consecutive quarter-final at the ATP 500 event is Cameron Norrie, whom he leads 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

The winner of their clash will face third seed Alex de Minaur, who defeated Austrian wild card Filip Misolic 6-4, 6-4 in the last match of the day. De Minaur, who is into his 11th tour-level quarter-final of the season, leads the ATP Tour with 39 hard-court wins in 2025. He is seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and aiming to hold off other Turin chasers this week as he bids to capture his second ATP 500 title of the year after Washington.

Earlier, Tallon Griekspoor became the first Vienna quarter-finalist by edging Brandon Nakashima 7-6(4), 7-6(2) with a clutch display. He awaits second seed Alexander Zverev or qualifier Matteo Arnaldi.

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What next for Djokovic after Paris withdrawal?

Novak Djokovic pulling out of the upcoming Paris Masters without giving a reason raises questions about his plans for the rest of the season.

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Sinner: The defending champ 'chasing' Turin repeat

Sinner: The defending champ ‘chasing’ Turin repeat

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Why Sinner must make a big run in Vienna to maintain year-end No. 1 hopes

Carlos Alcaraz is in firm control of the battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. Can Jannik Sinner make a huge late-season comeback to snatch the accolade from his great rival?

If Sinner dreams of doing so, he must begin with a deep run this week at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.

The Italian is competing at the Austrian ATP 500 event and can therefore add 500 points to his PIF ATP Live Race To Turin total this week. Should he triumph, he would gain 500 points on Alcaraz, who is not in action.

PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

This is important because of the lack of margin for error Sinner has. The 24-year-old currently trails Alcaraz by 2,540 points in the Live Race, which serves as a barometer for the year-end No. 1 battle.

After this week, both stars are scheduled to play the Rolex Paris Masters (max 1,000 points) and the Nitto ATP Finals (max 1,500 points). That means Sinner needs to earn every point he can the rest of the season and hope Alcaraz — who is 67-7 in 2025 according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index — does not maintain his performance.

If Sinner lifts the Vienna trophy for the second time, he will trail the Spaniard by 2,040 points in the Live Race entering Paris, where he could narrow the deficit even more. Alcaraz would still have a very healthy advantage, but a small amount of pressure would begin to mount.

If Sinner fails to win a match in Vienna, he would trail by 2,540 points entering the season’s final ATP Masters 1000 event.  At that point, even with victories in Paris and Turin, Sinner would have just 11,000 points to Alcaraz’s current 11,040. The Italian is not entered in Athens or Metz the week between Paris and Turin.

Both men are pursuing their second ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF finish, with Alcaraz achieving the feat in 2022 and Sinner doing so last year.

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Fairytale Shanghai finalists Rinderknech, Vacherot headline Paris wild cards

One of the best stories of the season was the fairytale Shanghai final between cousins Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech. They will be back in ATP Masters 1000 action in less than two weeks.

Shanghai champion Vacherot and finalist Rinderknech headlined the Rolex Paris Masters main draw wild cards, which tournament organisers announced Tuesday.

Vacherot will make his debut at the season’s final Masters 1000 event, while Rinderknech owns a 2-3 record at the tournament according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

Vacherot was No. 204 in the PIF ATP Rankings when he triumphed in Shanghai and is now at a career-high World No. 39.

Arthur Cazaux and Terence Atmane each also received a wild card into the main draw. Atmane enjoyed a dream Masters 1000 run of his own in Cincinnati, where the Frenchman made the semi-finals as a qualifier before falling to Jannik Sinner.

Ugo Blanchet, Hugo Gaston, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Kyrian Jacquet each received a wild card into qualifying.

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Musetti survives last-minute opponent swap in style in Vienna!

Lorenzo Musetti was not thrown off by an unexpected late change of opponent on Tuesday at the Erste Bank Open, where the Italian eased past Hamad Medjedovic to kick-start his campaign at the ATP 500.

Saturday’s draw in Vienna had pitched fourth seed Musetti against Stefanos Tsitsipas, but the Greek was forced to withdraw shortly before the match due to a back injury. The 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion Medjedovic stepped up to play as a lucky loser, but Musetti shut down the Serbian’s powerful game with a classy 79-minute display.

“There was a late switch, but of course I think I managed well to focus on my things and what I have to do when I step on the court,” said Musetti after his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Medjedovic. “I think it was a solid performance. Nothing special, but definitely what I needed in these moments, to stay solid and stay focused.

“I had a really great attitude today after the beginning was a little bit nervous. It was a great reaction, and that is what we are focusing on, and then I think the tennis will come.”

Now 39-17 for the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Musetti will take on Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round after the Argentine defeated #NextGenATP star Nicolai Budkov Kjaer 6-3, 6-3. Musetti, who is currently eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, seeks a deep run in Vienna in order to bolster his chances of securing a Nitto ATP Finals debut.

Andrey Rublev’s outside hopes of reaching the Nitto ATP Finals for the sixth consecutive year suffered a significant blow when the seventh seed tumbled to an early exit in Vienna. Cameron Norrie produced a fast start and fast finish to prevail 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-2 against Rublev, who is 15th in the Live Race, and level the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 3-3.

Home favourite Filip Misolic and Francisco Cerundolo were also first-round winners on Tuesday in the Austrian capital. Wild card Misolic downed Camilo Ugo Carabelli 7-5, 7-6(6) to set a meeting with third seed Alex de Minaur. Misolic has risen nine spots to No. 86 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings by reaching the second round on home soil, setting him up to surpass his career high of No. 92 in next Monday’s edition of the PIF ATP Rankings.

Argentine Cerundolo overcame Alex Michelsen 6-3, 6-1. He will next face eighth seed Alexander Bublik for a quarter-final spot.

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Draper now working with Murray's former coach Delgado

When Jack Draper returns to the ATP Tour in 2026, the Briton’s team will have a different feel.

The 23-year-old, who was forced to end his season after the US Open due to a left arm injury, has hired Andy Murray’s former coach Jamie Delgado and will part ways with longtime coach James Trotman. The coach has decided to step away from his role to focus on his family life as a husband and father.

“My relationship with Jack is strong. We are extremely close,” Trotman said in a BBC Sport article. “We spent more time with each other than anybody else on the planet over the past four years. We are going to stay incredibly close and obviously I’ll be following and supporting in any way I can from the sidelines.”

Trotman helped guide Draper to his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells in March, with the British No. 1 reaching a career-high PIF ATP Ranking of No. 4 in June and posting a 30-9 record this season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The pair won three tour-level titles together, including Stuttgart and Vienna last season.

“Whatever Jack does in the future, I feel incredibly proud of the work that I’ve done,” Trotman said. “And where Jack is now is not just as a result of me, it’s a result of everybody that’s worked with Jack and his family from a young age.”

Delgado most recently worked with Grigor Dimitrov for three years, with their partnership ending last month. He also coached Gilles Muller in addition to his time with Murray from 2016 to 2021.

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