Laura Robson doesn't think that adding a completely new Masters grass tournament is possible in the existing schedule, but suggests there is still an option for that to happen if the ATP decides to upgrade an existing grass tournament to the 1000-level.
Recently, it was officially confirmed that Saudi Arabia would host a Masters tournament from 2028. While the exact date of the event hasn't been revealed, the early rumors suggest it could take place before the Australian Open or in February.
Sharing his thoughts on the matter for Sky Sports, Tim Henman backed the Saudi Masters to be "a great tournament." However, the former six-time Grand Slam champion also used the opportunity to state that he would like to finally see the ATP calendar include a grass Masters tournament.
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In the current calendar, there are nine ATP tournaments in the 1000-category - six of them take place on hard while three are clay events.
Robson, a former world No. 27, doesn't have anything against Henman's wish being fulfilled, but believes it is easier said than done.
Robson: The calendar is so jam-packed... Maybe only if an already existing tournament gets upgraded
"You can try and upgrade a tournament that is already there but honestly, I think the calendar is already so jam-packed. No-one is asking for another Masters 1000. It would certainly be nice because it's the only surface that doesn't have one, but at the same time it's a very busy time of the season. There are some great options if you're looking to play 500 but logistically it's very, very tough to have a grass-court venue that can hold a Masters-level event if you think about the courts needed to hold the draw size in the first place," Robson told Sky Sports.
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The majority of tournaments taking place during the grass season are from the ATP 250 category. Only the Queen's Club and Halle host ATP 500 grass events. As a Grand Slam, Wimbledon is by far the biggest grass event in the calendar.
