ATP announces a 10th Masters in Saudi Arabia starting in 2028

Cerbo said:
1. Tennis
2. Ping-pong
3. Badminton

padel and pickleball don't even qualify to be on the list.
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I'd put ping-pong below badminton. Badmin has a near perflect blend of physicality and finesse. Ping-pong is more extreme leaning towards finesse.
 
Enceladus said:
That's right. Grand Slams aren't just tournaments that award 2,000 ranking points. Each of them, including the AO, has a long history that solidifies its status as a major tournament. It should also be noted that all Grand Slams are held in countries that are or used to be tennis powerhouses, with a number of famous tennis players and long tennis tradition. This is something that Saudi Arabia cannot offer.
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There’s a greater chance of Dr Raul’s club tournament evolving into a 5th slam than the Six Kings Exo or the new, exciting and Dr Raul endorsed KSA M1000.
 
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Bartelby said:
School yard ball games were mainly about slice, but table tennis was about topspin somewhat before tennis.
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I thought tennis came up with topspin in the early 1900s while ping-pong started using it a few decades later. It would make sense that the sport where it's more physically difficult to get the ball over the net would utilize topspin first.
 
The Saudi Arabia ATP tournament has been overdue, since the royal goons invested in the pro tennis. However, the ATP Masters is a bit too much of a recognition there. The country's got virtually no tennis players to be seen which brings in the question why such a high honor when some nations in Latin America are starving for more tennis. Seems that anything or anyone can be bought unfortunately.
 
TennisBro said:
The Saudi Arabia ATP tournament has been overdue, since the royal goons invested in the pro tennis. However, the ATP Masters is a bit too much of a recognition there. The country's got virtually no tennis players to be seen which brings in the question why such a high honor when some nations in Latin America are starving for more tennis. Seems that anything or anyone can be bought unfortunately.
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Please do not steal Dr Raul’s sunshine.

 
MrFlip said:
The only way Australia will lose it's slam status is if Saudi's buy a slam from ITF. Which is very likely to happen since everyone can be bought.
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Could there be 5 Slams instead of 4? Beyond whether it's a good idea or whether anyone wants that, is it technically possible? Women's golf went from 4 to 5 majors, but that's not an apples to apples comparison.
 
The four slam holders came together in the thirties and created some sort of legal structure, so you would need to know what it says.

But if they can do it then presumably this body would have to be given many billions.

bluetrain4 said:
Could there be 5 Slams instead of 4? Beyond whether it's a good idea or whether anyone wants that, is it technically possible? Women's golf went from 4 to 5 majors, but that's not an apples to apples comparison.
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4UTRMoutet said:
I'd put ping-pong below badminton. Badmin has a near perflect blend of physicality and finesse. Ping-pong is more extreme leaning towards finesse.
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I've only put it third, because in Serbian language, ping-pong is called 'table tennis' (стони тенис). ;)
 
ATP is announcing a new Masters tournament right when you see players complaining the existing schedule is already too demanding... doesn't help that Alcaraz, Sinner, Rune and others have all been proof of this...
 
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RaulRamirez said:
Ping Pong (in my opinion) is far superior to pickleball.
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A key distinction between table tennis and pickleball is that no one, and I mean absolutely no one, can jump into professional table tennis after a career in some other sport and expect to be successful. If you think to try top-tier TT as an over-the-hill refugee from tennis or any other activity, no matter what your level was there, you'll just generate first laughter, and then pity. The TT skill set is highly refined and very sport-specific.

Here's the match point of the final in a recent tournament that's the equivalent of a tennis Masters 1000. Swedish no. 1 playing at home against the then world no. 1 from China. 3-3 in games, 10-9 in the seventh and final game:

https://www.reddit.com/r/tabletennis/comments/1mz2bcy/truls_vs_lin_shidong_what_a_way_to_end_the_match
 
JMR said:
A key distinction between table tennis and pickleball is that no one, and I mean absolutely no one, can jump into professional table tennis after a career in some other sport and expect to be successful. If you think to try top-tier TT as an over-the-hill refugee from tennis or any other activity, no matter what your level was there, you'll just generate first laughter, and then pity. The TT skill set is highly refined and very sport-specific.

Here's the match point of the final in a recent tournament that's the equivalent of a tennis Masters 1000. Swedish no. 1 playing at home against the then world no. 1 from China. 3-3 in games, 10-9 in the seventh and final game:

https://www.reddit.com/r/tabletennis/comments/1mz2bcy/truls_vs_lin_shidong_what_a_way_to_end_the_match
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Amazing defense -- over and over and over again -- but the Swede prevailed.
I miss the ping-pong group I was playing in till Covid hit, so it's been a while now.
There were some very good players there (nothing close to professional level, though) but also some I could hang with.
Great, underrated sport.
 
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MasterSlice74 said:
ATP is announcing a new Masters tournament right when you see players complaining the existing schedule is already too demanding... doesn't help that Alcaraz, Sinner, Rune and others have all been proof of this...
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The weird thing is about that topic is you will hear some players complain about the schedule. But if you asked any of them what an ideal schedule would be your with get a million different answers.
 
RaulRamirez said:
Amazing defense -- over and over and over again -- but the Swede prevailed.
I miss the ping-pong group I was playing in till Covid hit, so it's been a while now.
There were some very good players there (nothing close to professional level, though) but also some I could hang with.
Great, underrated sport.
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Ok that is officially insane.
 
RSJfan said:
614now.com

Central Ohio business closes after 25 years, states landlord putting pickleball facility there

“We’re very sorry to have to go!” a Central Ohio business said on Facebook. “Unfortunately, our landlord intends to open a new pickleball business at our location and informed us early last month that…
614now.com
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Art supplies can be purchased on the Internet. Pickleball requires a facility. So, I don't see it as a problem. It will make the community much fitter.
 
I believe this is subject to the finalization of the Iran conflict. Else, if that turns to be a like a second Ukraine War conflict, we will not arrive in time for 2028.
 
Sudacafan said:
I am not so sure about it. Same as the Muslim world, we deserve other things before that.
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I’m not for a fifth slam at all, but I’d choose South America before any other place. Maybe Japan or China too. Definitely not Saudi.
 
Sudacafan said:
I believe that the Islamic world deserves many more things before they can even focus on grand slams.
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In the end it is all about money.

Saudi has the money to buy the 5th Slam and sponsor it.

The tennis culture in that region is not upto the mark, that could be a concern.
 
NachoGPT said:
I think South America deserves a slam before the Middle East. Great tennis culture over there and the fans are great.
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Won’t mind more slams , tbh masters are useless events that neither fans nor top players give their 100%. Make 7 slams season ala formula one styled championship and use masters as preparation tourney. One slam in China , one in Saud or Qatar , one in Argentina , Brazil, one in Roma.
 
TennisGrandpA said:
Won’t mind more slams , tbh masters are useless events that neither fans nor top players give their 100%. Make 7 slams season ala formula one styled championship and use masters as preparation tourney. One slam in China , one in Saud or Qatar , one in Argentina , Brazil, one in Roma.
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That would render every record set by the big 3 utterly meaningless. And it would also cheapen future records set by other players.
 
NachoGPT said:
That would render every record set by the big 3 utterly meaningless. And it would also cheapen future records set by other players.
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That’s perfectly all right, CL before reforms didn’t have many top teams playing in them but to get more CL action they started including 1-4 ranked teams from big league and look how fans won in the end , fans deserve more slam action instead of useless masters and 500 top players don’t care about. If CL was same Real Madrid would have won way less CL trophies due to them being second in the league and barred from CL. Tennis is stuck in old times. Hell masters are not even 10% as meaningful as league , still UEFa went for more CL action.
 
Sudacafan said:
Leave slams and M1000 as they are now.
Any changes will disrupt stats comparisons, opening new scenarios for greater distractions.
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stats are and should be seen in context and eras. Maradona’s legacy didn’t suffer when CL was open to top 4 teams in the league , back in his day only winners could play.
 
TennisGrandpA said:
stats are and should be seen in context and eras. Maradona’s legacy didn’t suffer when CL was open to top 4 teams in the league , back in his day only winners could play.
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I think adding Slams or Masters 1000 events would be far more disruptive than what you mentioned about the Champions League.
 
I don't like it honestly and I don’t like that any tournaments and exhibitions are in SA, and don't agree with players playing exhibitions there but that's just my opinion. I feel it's sportswashing but tennis isn't the only sport engaging in it.
 
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