The Qatar Open will be upgraded from an ATP 250 Series to a 500 Series event next year, but tournament director Karim Alami believes that is only a step forward in the direction of their eventual goal of a Masters 1000 event.
Alami, a former pro, was ranked as high as No.25 a little over two decades ago. "We have been working on this since 2009," the 50-year-old Moroccan said. "If we want to get a Masters 1000, we have to first go to 500. We are following the steps."
