JEDDAH — The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) has announced that the city of Jeddah has won the bid to host the finals of the Next Generation of Professional Tennis Players Championship for the next five years, making Saudi Arabia a new tennis hotspot. The current year (2023) through 2027 will see the Next Gen ATP Finals. From November 28 to December 2, the Saudi Tennis Federation and the Ministry of Sports will collaborate to host the maiden finals, which will last five days.
The world's eight best players under the age of 21 will compete in the finals on the indoor hard courts at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. The last five finals, which were hosted in Milan, Italy, and featured nine of the top 10 players in the world right now, including Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz, were successful. For several sportsmen, winning this title served as a stepping stone to prominence.
In keeping with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, tennis in the Kingdom is experiencing a considerable transition. The goals include developing interest among eager Saudi youth and increasing the number of tennis tournaments hosted in Saudi Arabia in order to establish the nation as a prominent international sporting event hub.
The Saudi Tennis Federation's chair, Areej Mutabagani, expressed her joy at Jeddah being chosen to host this important sporting tournament. She noted the strong backing from the government and the ministry of sports, which has made Saudi Arabia a host country for important international competitions in several sports.
The ATP Chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi, remarked that holding the Next Generation finals in Jeddah offers a chance to enthuse new fans in an area with a significant population of young people and sports aficionados.
The championship's prize pool will rise to two million dollars, shattering the previous record of $1.4 million won in the event hosted in Milan in 2017, when it first began.
The King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah was picked as the location for the championship, which will take place between November 28 and December 2. The selection process for potential host cities began in March. Professional tennis competitions have also been held in Qatar and the UAE, among other Arab nations.
Soccer, a sport that has attracted European players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and N'Golo Kanté, has seen investment in the Saudi sports landscape. The nation has made investments in competitions including Formula 1, boxing, the Dakar Rally, and the world equestrian championships.
