"What’s the solution? Add another week. Brilliant." - Andy Roddick highlights 'mess' caused by upcoming Saudi Arabia Masters 1000 event

The news that Saudi Arabia will host a Masters 1000 event from 2028 onwards has caused a stir in the tennis world, which has contradicted the recent debate about how packed the calendar is. Former US Open champion Andy Roddick has had his say on the situation, voicing his concerns over the amount of tennis being put on, and questioning when it will be held, and the resulting implication it will have on smaller events.

With the tennis calendar already packed with events, it may be quite hard to find a definitive spot for this new event without it leading to more disruption or affecting other big events. It does have the whole year to choose from, with the event being held on indoor courts, meaning you do not have to factor in the brutal Middle East climate.

"So, pre-empting Australia is one possibility. I think that’s difficult — I’m not sure you can take the thunder away from the Australian Open," Roddick said on his podcast Quick Served. "It’s probably the only thing in tennis that benefits from people actually having time to look forward to it. If you do that, are you shifting the entire Middle Eastern swing before that? Or screwing over the other Middle Eastern tournaments in February or March — before Indian Wells? I think it has to slot into February. Then you’re competing with Rotterdam and those 500s — that’s easier than going against the Aussie summer."

Producer Mike Hayden described the situation as a 'mess', stating the possible scenario if slotted in February. "Just to level set — when we talk about February, on the men’s side right now you’ve got Doha, Rio, Delray Beach, Rotterdam, Buenos Aires… The women already have Qatar and Dubai that month. So there’s no need for a co-ed event there. But still — how are they going to fit this in? Do you start midweek? Do you bump existing 500s? It’s a mess."

"Yeah, and if it’s non-mandatory, could a 500 go head-to-head with a 1000 for the first time ever?" Roddick followed up with. "Could someone like Fonseca stay in Brazil to play for 500 points instead of flying to Saudi? If we’re just making up rules, who knows?"

A lot of the events on the tennis calendar are mandatory for players to compete in, specifically the Masters 1000 events for the best athletes in the world. Financial ramifications are the punishment for not turning up. The new event in Saudi Arabia will go against this, becoming the second event behind the Monte-Carlo Masters not to be mandatory. While this seems like good news, Roddick still has his doubts.

"The fine print matters here. We’re creating a Masters 1000 out of thin air, right? So now we can just print money," he said. "Here’s another one — great, let’s make a new one! That sets a precedent. And it’s non-mandatory. So let me throw this out there: If I’m a player — and I roll back the clock to when I was one — the protection for the Masters 1000s is that they’re mandatory. You opt into the tour schedule as an independent contractor, but those events are compulsory. If this one’s non-mandatory, that means players don’t have to play it contractually. That means appearance fees — and they’re going to be massive. Saudi isn’t going to want a Masters 1000 without Sinner or Alcaraz showing up. No chance."

He went deeper into this, revealing some news he got off someone he knew which shows that despite it being non-mandatory, a lot of players will still turn up for the money. "I was texting with an agent friend of ours — he said it’s open season on appearance fees for this tournament. They’re celebrating the “non-mandatory” label like it’s cool — 'Oh, we’re flexible, we’re modern.' But really, it’s going to be chaos. It’ll be the Wild West in terms of money. Which, I guess, is good for players."

Sports journalist Jon Wertheim pinpointed the smaller events, and how they would be overshadowed. "Right now, Masters events aren’t supposed to pay appearance fees — at least, not officially," Wertheim said. "But there’s so much money in play here that there’s essentially a buyback fund. The ATP will probably use some of that cash to buy out and shutter other tournaments. If this is in February — which seems likely — then Craig Tiley keeps January clean, and South America loses out. That’s bad news for South American events — and for some promising up-and-coming players there."

At the end of the podcast, they reverted back to the amount of tennis being played in a calendar year, with the top players forced to play an excessive number of tournaments. "Exactly. They’re all saying the same thing — the schedule’s too long. Players are exhausted mentally and physically. And what’s the solution? Add another week. Brilliant," Roddick said.