In the jingle of petro-dollars, Saudi Arabia has installed a star fair on football fields, Formula One race tracks and golf courses. The Middle Eastern country is now going to make a star hat on the tennis court as well.
Saudi Arabia has finalized the hosting of an exhibition tournament in the busy tennis season next October. Where two legends like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will play along with three other Grand Slam champions, a total of six players. The announcement was made today by the National Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia. The tennis tournament will be organized as part of the Saudi Cultural and Entertainment Festival in Riyadh.
In addition to Djokovic-Nadal, the two stars who have won the most Grand Slams in men’s tennis history, Carlos Alcaraz, Yannis Siner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Runa will play in that tournament. Among them, only Rooney could not win a Grand Slam.
Something like this was expected to happen last month after the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation invited Spanish star Nadal. “I am thrilled to be playing in Riyadh for the first time” — the 22-time Grand Slam winner Nadal was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the Saudi Entertainment Authority.
This is not the first time exhibition tennis has been held in Saudi Arabia. However, they usually take place at the end of the ATP season or during breaks. But this time it will be organized in the full season of October. There are two big tournaments in that month like Shanghai and Paris Masters.
But in the meantime, Saudi Arabia has won the rights to host the Next Gen Finals, a tournament for the future stars of men’s tennis, for four years. The ATP announced it last August. Saudi Arabia could also host the WTA Finals, the women’s year-end tournament.