More than a year and a half has passed since proposals were requested from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Australia. Selecting Saudi Arabia appeared likely for some time.
The intention was always to host a 10th Masters event, but it would have needed to be held during the first week of the year or before Wimbledon on grass, until a rule modification was voted on earlier this year.
However, it could now be held at any point, and it is likely to occur in February, when the ATP is already present in the Gulf region for competitions in Doha and Dubai.
However, the ATP is not publicly confirming the date, as it is sure to cause concern for someone.
If the competition were to take place in Saudi Arabia during the opening week of the year, Tennis Australia would likely view it negatively. This is because many of its top players would no longer compete there in preparation for the Australian Open.
If scheduled in February, it could draw players away from traditional clay court tournaments in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, as well as indoor European tournaments such as Rotterdam.
A possible solution involves establishing two groups of February tournaments: one in the Middle East and the other in South America. The European events would then be moved to later in the year.
The prize money for the Saudi tournament is yet to be revealed, but the ATP mandates a minimum for all Masters 1000 events.
The Paris Masters next week, which also includes 56 competitors, provides the minimum amount of 6,128,940 euros (£5,328,338).
Competitions have the option to increase prize money as long as the extra funds are distributed fairly among all participants.
This year, the Indian Wells Masters offered an additional $500,000 (£374,650), but it is unusual for Masters 1000 events to go beyond the minimum requirement.
