I guess some of you will have noticed that there has been an event with top players taking place this week in Saudi Arabia. Putting aside the politics of the place and the rights and wrongs, it is clearly part of a push from Saudi Arabia to win over public opinion through top class sport; the Joshua v Ruiz World Heavyweight Boxing was there last week, a major Golf event has been announced on the European Tour for next year and even snooker has announced a major new snooker event with big prizemoney. All of the events are in the Diriyah area and the tennis event this week was played at the same venue as the boxing. 

The tennis comprised 8 players and took place as an 8 man knockout. $3m prizemoney and the winner took home $1m. Danil Medvedev won the event, beating Fognini in the final.

All the matches were best of 3 sets and not one match went to 3 sets - Medvedev beat Fognini 2 and 2. Not sure they (the sponsors) got their monies worth but some may say "good" to that!

Is anyone aware of any other exhibition events taking place over the December period? The Mubadalla World Tennis event in Abu Dhabi is well established now although the original quality of entrants seems to have been watered down and I am not sure it has any prestige now (if it ever did). I think the Aussies still host the Kooyong Classic at the old Australian Open venue the week before the Oz Open, although with the ATP Cup being played, not sure Kooyong is taking place this season. 

A few years ago, a number of countries in Europe hosted National events around now - Spain had a Spanish Masters indoor event for 8 top Spanish players, France and Italy hosted something similar, I think the Dutch did too and Germany, and these events where still going as recently as maybe 5 years back? I cant find any evidence of them now, so maybe they dont exist anymore? St Anton in Austria also hosted a 4 man exhibition event a few years (10 perhaps) back but I think that also ceased.