RIYADH, October 10, 2019

Saudi-Arabia will stage its first-ever international tennis tournament. The inaugural Diriyah Tennis Cup will be held on December 12-14 and will feature leading players from across the globe in a competition over three days.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Stanislas Wawrinka, US Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev, Italian Fabio Fognini and David Goffin from Belgium have already signed up to appear in the eight-player hard-court event at the Diriyah Arena with a capacity of 15,000 places.

Diriyah is town with about 35,000 inhabitants located on the north-western outskirts of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Diriyah was the original home of the Saudi royal family, and served as the capital of the Emirate of Diriyah under the first Saudi dynasty from 1744 to 1818. The tournament will offer a total prize money of $3 million.

“Hosting world class international tennis in Saudi Arabia for the very first time is another watershed moment for the Kingdom,” said Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, chairman of the General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia, quoted by the AFP.