Saudi Arabia has revealed plans to build a National Tennis Centre in Qiddiya City featuring designs that bear a striking resemblance to the All England Club, the venue that hosts Wimbledon. Architectural firm Populous designed the complex, which is set to be the largest facility of its kind in the region and sports Wimbledon's iconic purple and green colours.
The centre court will feature a retractable roof for climate control amid harsh Saudi daytime temperatures. The centre court and several other structures and show courts will be clad in a grass-like material. Inside, the 15,000-capacity crowd will watch play on hard courts painted purple and green, rather than the carpet of turf expected by players at SW19.
With a total seating capacity of 33,000 across 30 indoor, outdoor, and practice courts, including two on clay, Sports Minister Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal stressed that the complex "represents an important pillar in developing tennis in the Kingdom."
Qiddiya Investment Company managing director Abdullah Aldawood added: "We are building a world-class home for tennis at every level, where the world's best players can compete, the next generation of Saudi talent can reach their potential, and families and communities across Saudi Arabia can experience this great sport."
Eno Polo, the CEO of the ATP, agreed, saying that the national centre would represent "a remarkable addition to the global tennis landscape."
"Facilities of this scale and quality play an important role in the continued growth of tennis," Polo added. "By providing a world-class stage for competition alongside opportunities for participation at all levels, the National Tennis Centre has the potential to make a lasting impact on the sport across the region for years to come."
Saudi tennis investments and Qiddiya City
The centre will act as the heart of Qiddiya City, a proposed capital of entertainment, sport and culture being built by Saudi Arabia 30 miles from Riyadh as part of its ambitious Vision 2030 project.
The publication of the complex's design represents another assertive commitment by Saudi Arabia into tennis, following its Public Investment Fund's investment into official rankings, events on both men's and women's tours including ongoing Queen's Club tournaments in London, and the WTA itself.
Saudi Arabia previously struck an arrangement with the ATP to host a Masters 1000 tournament in the Kingdom from 2028. The country has also hosted a showy exhibition event with boldfaced names such as Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Jannik Sinner, known as the Six Kings Slam, for the past two seasons.
However, not all of its forays have had lasting success, with the WTA Finals, the end-of-tour crescendo for women's players, set to move away from the Saudi capital following the conclusion of their three-year deal this November.
Events in the region have struggled for sell-out crowds despite the presence of the sport's biggest names on court, in part tempted by the record £4.7m prize money for the winner of the Six Kings Slam.
Among the other venues under construction in Qiddiya City are an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Nick Faldo, a horse racing venue, a Gaming and Esports district, a performing arts centre, and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, which will be used to host matches at the 2034 World Cup.
