Australian tennis legend John Newcombe advocates the addition of a fifth Grand Slam tournament which will take place in China. He believes that the rights should be sold for $1 billion.
“There has been talk about it over the years. I know that China would love to have the fifth Slam,” Newcombe said in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald. “I think the four Slams should get together and tell China they can have a fifth Grand Slam for a billion dollars, and they take $250 million each. They have got the facilities to do it over there and the financial wherewithal. It would be good for Australia to have $250 million in the kitty.”
China is currently hosting a number of WTA and ATP events. Its two biggest events are the China Open in Beijing which is a dual-gender event (Premier Mandatory for women and ATP 500 for men) and the Shanghai Rolex Masters. Wuhan will be hosting another Premier event starting this year after the rights were transferred from Tokyo. Organizers from Beijing have expressed interest to host a Grand Slam-level tournament in years.
Newcombe believes that the best time to host the tournament will be sometime in February or March, prior to two Premier hardcourt events in the US.
“You would probably have to hold it around just prior to [Masters events in] Indian Wells and Miami, at that time of the year,” he said.
