The Italian city of Turin has been unveiled as the new host of the ATP Finals from 2021 to 2025, thus bringing an end to London’s 11 year stint at the O2 Arena to an end.
The ATP’s executive Chairman Chris Kermode announced the news, and an increase in prize money, with $14.5m (£11.2m) promised for the first staging of the event in 2021.
London has played host since 2009, and has welcomed more than two and half million through its doors so far.
Kermode hopes the city has the potential to move the event on to the best level.
“We believe that Turin has all the ingredients to take the event to new heights,” said Kermode.
Italy’s largest indoor arena, The Pala Alpitour, will stage the finals. The venue holds approximately 15,000 fans, which is a few thousand less than London’s O2, which boasts a capacity of 17,500.
The ATP’s decision to move has been met with mixed reaction so far with the governing body of British Tennis, the LTA expressing its disappointment with the news.
“We are disappointed that the ATP Finals will move from London in 2021. We have been fortunate to have had such a fabulous tournament staged in this country for so long and it has been a great asset to tennis in Britain,” a statement from the LTA read.
“The LTA believes events play an important role in increasing visibility of our sport and inspiring people to pick up a racquet.”
Italy has also been hosting the ATP NextGen Finals since its inauguration in 2017, which is an event for the top 8 players aged 21 and under. That event, held in Milan, has seen a fair amount of success, but nowhere near the popularity that would indicate that Italy is a superior home for the ATP Finals than London is.
Main Photo from Getty
