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ATP's decision to relocate the Next Gen Finals to Saudi Arabia has dismayed tennis fans.
Earlier this year, speculation was rife regarding Saudi Arabia’s interest in the ATP Tour. Following its pro golf merger, it was brought to light that the Middle Eastern country was looking to invest in tennis as well, starting with the Next Gen Finals.
Many in the tennis world weren't too thrilled about the possibility of Saudi Arabia’s investment in the sport. Fans had pointed towards the country’s troubling human rights record, mainly concerning women and laborers, as well as the government’s discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.
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Despite the public outrage, the ATP Tour has now given the nod to organize the Next Gen Finals in Saudi Arabia, in a multi-year deal, starting this year, as reported by Italian tennis website Ubitennis. The official contract is expected to be signed by August.
The Next Gen Finals, held in Milan, Italy since its founding in 2017, will now be held at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah until at least 2027, as per the report.
The inaugural edition is set to take place immediately after the Davis Cup Finals this year. The news hasn't gone down well with tennis fans, who have expressed their disappointment with the governing body's decision.
“And that is the end of the ATP finals. It was already a corporate circus. Now it’s a corporate circus run and funded by one of the worst governments and most dismal cultural backwaters in the world. Brilliant work all round,” one fan said.
“A country where women need permission from their husbands just to leave the house ffs. Shameful the ATP are taking their money,” another fan said.
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
Lorenzo Musetti, Arthur Fils and Ben Shelton feature in the ATP's 2023 Next Gen Finals race to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The Next Gen ATP Finals is an annual year-end event which features the eight best 21-and-under tennis players of the particular season.
Since its inaugural edition in 2017, the exhibition event has featured numerous players who have gone on to become top ranked players on the tour, such as Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, to name a few.
This year, although World No. 1 Alcaraz and World No. 6 Holger Rune feature as the top-two players in the live race, the 20-year-olds are expected to give the Next Gen event a miss in hopes of contesting the coveted year-end Finals.
Presuming their absence, World No. 18 Lorenzo Musetti, World No. 71 Arthur Fils and World No. 41 Ben Shelton are the players leading the race. Other players hoping to make the cut at the Next Gen Finals are Luca Van Assche, Alex Michelsen, Hamad Medjedovic, Dominic Stricker and Arthur Cazaux.
