For 100 years, the current collection of four Grand Slam tournaments has remained the prominent feature of the tennis schedule. Wimbledon was the first in 1877, followed by the US Open in 1881, then the Australian Open in 1905, and finally the French Open in 1925. In 1968, the Open Era cemented them as the big four of the sport.

The four major tournaments are the most prestigious annual meets in tennis, offering an array of different surfaces and environments to challenge all of the best players the sport has to offer. Even so, after a century of these four tournaments being in place, noise is increasingly being made to expand from four to five.

While a certain European board has been the most notably vocal about this, another region growing in prominence may be the dark horse to land such a massive addition to the calendar.

Middle East May Want the Fifth Grand Slam

As is being seen across the world of sport, the Middle East is playing an increasingly large role, particularly when it comes to hosting both prestigious and lucrative events. Combat sports have long been collecting hefty purses from the region, as have individual footballers and Formula One racing.

While arriving before the more recent wave of new tournaments and even Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup, the Dubai Tennis Championships continue to offer 1000 WTA and 500 ATP-point tournaments in the UAE. More recently, the region’s presence in tennis grew with 2024’s first Six Kings Slam, which Jannik Sinner has won twice.

Surrounding infrastructure and interest in sports is notably growing in the region. Part of this is down to the investment from the various wealth funds. Another is third-party businesses bringing their offerings in. This can be seen with the verified bookmakers offering odds on a sport bet in the GCC.

The presence of these platforms alone speaks to the growing intrigue and demand for sports in the region. Further, it shows that there’s a very real and modern surrounding environment for world-class sports. Adding to this will be the 10th Masters being added to the ATP Tour, which will land in Saudi Arabia as early as 2028.

Adding Another Major European Date to the

The Middle East is a new player in the highest end of professional tennis. The outdoor clay courts of the Foro Italico, however, have been around since 1930. The Italian Open is already one of the ATP and WTA 1000 events, but its governing body has been the one calling for a fifth Grand Slam.

Italian Tennis and Padel Federation president Angelo Binaghi greatly desires the Italian Open to become tennis’s fifth Grand Slam. In doing so, it would upend a century of tennis history, but that’s Binaghi’s point. He says, “In what other part of society is there a monopoly that lasts for more than 100 years?”

The recent success of headline Italian talents like Jannik Sinner and Jasmine Paolini, in particular, has greatly spurred interest in the Italian Open. Plus, while it’s one below the Grand Slams in prestige, the event does now run for two weeks, just like the four majors. Binaghi’s desires are certainly not unfounded, but seem hard to achieve.

It seems unlikely that a fifth Grand Slam will be added to the tennis calendar, but just in case, Italy has thrown its hat into the arena, and undoubtedly, a nation in the Middle East would be keen to host one.