Saudi exits ATP Next Gens Finals hosting deal, WTA Finals looks to extend

The ATP, organizer of the top men’s tennis tour, is seeking a new host for its Next Gen ATP Finals end-of-season under-21 event after ending its contract with the Saudi Tennis Federation.

Saudi city Jeddah was meant to be the host for the event for the 2023-27 cycle, following a “competitive” bid process handled by professional services heavyweight Deloitte’s Sports Business Group (SBG).

However, the tennis property has now announced a new tender to find a new host for the event from the 2026 edition onwards after the Saudi Tennis Federation decided to trigger an opt-out clause after three years of the five-year deal.

No reason has been given for the move, with this year’s edition, which will run between December 17 to 21, to be the last staged in the kingdom.

The bid process, which began on Friday, will again be managed by Deloitte’s SBG, with interested parties urged to submit an expression of interest form to the ATP.

Suitable candidates will be sent full bid documentation in the coming weeks, with final bids to be submitted by January 22, 2026. The successful host will be announced in early 2026.

ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi has said: “The Next Gen ATP Finals is where the future of tennis takes shape. It’s done exactly what it set out to do – create a launchpad for the stars of tomorrow and reimagine how our sport is played and experienced. The impact speaks for itself – from the rise of the event’s past champions to the game-changing technologies it has brought to life on tour.

“We look forward to raising the bar once again with the event’s third edition in Jeddah this December. Our thanks go to the Saudi Tennis Federation and all event partners for their vision in creating something truly exceptional. As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited to invite potential host cities to share in that vision as we build on the event’s continued growth and success.”

Before Jeddah, the Next Gen ATP Finals had taken place annually every year in Milan, Italy, since its inception in 2017, with the top-ranked eight ATP singles players aged 21 and under competing.

The Next Gen Finals have served as a testing ground for the ATP, with the tour integrating electronic line calling, video reviews, and data integration through wearable technology at the event before eventually adopting the technology across the main ATP Tour.

Success in the event has also been a good indicator of future success in the main tour, with current world number one and two Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, respectively, among the champions.

The early termination of the pair’s contract will not reduce Saudi Arabia’s involvement in tennis, with the kingdom announced as the host of a new ATP Masters 1000 tournament due to be launched in 2028.

This is the first time the Masters 1000 category has been expanded since the birth of the concept in 1990.

Saudi Arabia also has a hosting contract in place for the women’s WTA Finals until at least 2027, and its Public Investment Fund is the official naming partner of both the ATP and WTA rankings.

Indeed, the WTA’s chief executive Portia Archer has now said the tour is keen to extend its hosting contract with Saudi Arabia beyond its current contract.

Speaking ahead of the 2025 WTA Finals’ championship match between world number one Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday (November 8), Archer told The Athletic publication that staging the event in Saudi Arabia had been positive for the sport.

She said: “We signed on for a three-year term, we’d actually enjoy being here for even longer than we have been, or than we are agreed to be here.

“I have experience throughout sports and have attended very high-level sporting events throughout my career, and this is definitely an elite, high-level, professional tennis event and professional sporting event, and we’ve been able to up our game a little bit more this year, even over last year.

“I can see the difference in the fans who are coming. They’re better educated, they’re more familiar with tennis.

“I’m excited and I’m happy we’re here. I think it was a good decision.”

Riyadh is due to host the WTA Finals until 2026 as part of a three-year deal struck in 2024. As part of that agreement, the king agreed to help the WTA offer record prize money for the event, with this year’s champion, Reybakina, earning $5.2 million – the biggest prize in women’s tennis history.

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