According to @TheAthletic, Saudi Arabia is pushing to buy the Miami Open or Mutua Madrid Open. They want to host a Masters 1000 at all costs 😮
Miami Open or Madrid Open in potential danger as Saudi Arabia plans to host Masters 1000 at all costs
Tennis NewsFriday, 03 November 2023 at 19:00
The Miami Open or Madrid Open could be in danger of being replaced by an ATP Masters 1000 tournament held in Saudi Arabia, according to recent reports.
Saudi Arabia has become an ever-increasing presence in tennis over recent years as the country continues to invest large amounts of money in order to grow its influence in the sporting world.
The Next Gen ATP Finals will be held in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah until 2027, and the country also put in a bid to host the 2023 WTA Finals in its capital city Riyadh. However, Cancun in Mexico was ultimately chosen instead.
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Talks for Masters tournament are still preliminary
Now, it has been revealed via The Athletic that Saudi Arabia wants to host a Masters tournament at all costs and are looking at replacing either the Miami Open or the Madrid Open. This is according to four people who have knowledge of the discussions.
The four anonymous sources said that the talks were still in the preliminary stages and could fall apart altogether due to the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East involving the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
However, Saudi Arabia has already secured several significant wins in golf and football which could suggest that they will ultimately achieve what they want from the talks.
This increased impact on tennis and other sports has led to many fans voicing their concerns over sportswashing - the idea that Saudi Arabia is using sports to distract from its poor human rights record. This includes restrictions on women and those belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the recent carrying out of mass executions in the country.
Several fans have reacted to the news about Miami and Madrid, with some once again expressing their dismay.
"Selling your soul’s to the devil is costly!" wrote one fan.
"THIS IS RIDICULOUS !!!! I cannot imagine any of those M1000 not being a reality ever," added another.
"So the tournament directors of Miami and Madrid should tell the Saudis that their tournament is not for sale," another said.
Meanwhile, others debated which tournament they would rather keep.
"The Miami Open is not even close to the tournament it used to be. Is a Master 1000 being played in a parking lot now, embarrassing!" wrote one.
"Miami has become less and less prestigious over the years. Madrid has to stay in its current slot on the calendar," said another.
"Miami and Madrid are both played in “summer” months of Saudi. They should try to replace Paris bercy as it would be played at a time when the weather is actually bearable in Saudi Arabia," commented a third.
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