Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has extended a substantial proposal of US$2 billion to amalgamate the men’s and women’s professional tennis tours, as per reports from The Telegraph. The ambitious plan involves merging the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tours into a single entity.
Andrea Gaudenzi, the chairman of ATP, reportedly relayed this offer to key figures of the Masters series events. This move comes amidst discussions of a competing concept, a ‘Premium Tour’ spearheaded by the Grand Slam tournaments, which could potentially undermine the ATP and WTA Tours’ governance.
The PIF’s proposition, however, does not currently encompass the four prestigious Grand Slam events – the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open – and is set with a 90-day expiry window for acceptance.
In the proposed ‘PIF Tour’, Gaudenzi is poised to assume the role of commissioner for the combined circuit. This consolidation is expected to lead to increased joint events and the unification of media and data rights into a consolidated offering.
Additionally, the merger intends to establish pay parity, promising equal prize money for female competitors. The inaugural event of this integrated tour would be the Saudi Masters.
A verdict on the PIF’s offer is anticipated by early May, coinciding with ATP’s annual tournament meetings. This follows the ATP’s recently announced multi-year strategic alliance with the PIF, granting the fund sponsorship and naming rights for the tour’s rankings.
The PIF has been actively seeking to host a Masters 1000 tournament at the start of the tennis season, backed by Gaudenzi, although this concept faces resistance from figures like Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley due to scheduling conflicts with existing Australian tournaments.
Tiley is also a key proponent of the ‘Premium Tour’ model, which aims to create an elite circuit featuring top-tier players in both the Grand Slams and ten additional combined events. Such a plan could significantly diminish the ATP and WTA’s current jurisdiction over the sport.
Requests for comments from the ATP regarding the PIF’s offer were met with no response.