If you’ve ever asked, “How do tennis rankings work?”
You know that it’s hard to find the correct information and data to answer this complex question.
Tennis rankings can be confusing and difficult to understand, which often leads to players being confused or frustrated with their performance.
You might think that the rankings are just random numbers, but they are actually based on a complicated formula.
Learn more about how tennis rankings work right here.
- ATP tennis rankings
The ATP tennis rankings are based on a points system, and each player’s best 18 results from the previous 52 weeks are added up.
A player must also participate in tournaments hosted by the ITF, ATP, or WTA, to earn points. The maximum number of points is 2,000.
The system was first introduced in the 1970s, and since then, it has become the standard worldwide.
The transparent points system was seen as a way to represent player performance accurately and provide a reliable objective measurement for tournament entry.
Before the introduction of the ATP rankings, ranking systems were created by national associations and individual tournaments.
This meant that event organizers could invite anyone they liked to play, and the livelihood of players was often in the hands of politics.
The ATP rankings aren’t quite as simple as they might seem. In most other popular sports, players earn points for playing in tournaments.
Unlike football or basketball, however, there’s an actual season in tennis. Players receive points when they win a tournament.
- WTA tennis rankings
WTA tennis rankings are based on a system that allows players to see where they stand in the world.
The WTA, or Women’s Tennis Association, has been around since 1975.
The system was introduced to the public in November of that year. Its rankings are compiled based on performance in major tournaments.
- In the singles and doubles rankings, a player’s best 18 results in the previous 12 months are considered.
- In the doubles rankings, the best 11 results from ATP and ITF tournaments are taken into account.
A player can earn up to 1500 points by qualifying for a Grand Slam, while a player can earn as many as 1080 points by reaching the finals of a WTA tournament.
The rankings also include a player’s ranking points in a tournament that is not a Grand Slam.
The WTA tennis rankings are an excellent tool for analyzing the world’s best players. The system is simple to understand and easy to track.
It can help new tennis players get their bearings and understand the power of the competition.
However, it isn’t always easy to predict which player will take a specific tournament or which ranking point will go up the most.
- Race to London
The Race to London in tennis rankings is a ranking that shows who will reach the ATP World Tour Finals in London.
It is an accurate predictor of the year-end ranking, and players pay attention to it throughout the season.
The Race to London rankings is based on the points a player has accrued in the calendar year.
A player starts on zero and accumulates points based on their performance.
The goal is to reach the top eight by the end of the year. For example, if a player has won the Rolex Paris Masters, he would finish in the top eight of the Race to London ranking.
The Race to London in tennis rankings is based on a different set of rules than the ATP world rankings. Players who finish in the top eight will qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in November.
- ‘Star’ system
The ATP rankings are based on the points that each tennis player has accumulated over a calendar year. Ranking points are awarded for victories in important tournaments.
At the end of the year, they are calculated and published. They are different from universal tennis ratings, which are based on several factors, including the number of matches played.
A player’s ranking can be improved with a few tweaks.
ATP has implemented the ‘Star’ system, which rewards players based on their ranking in the ATP World Tour.
This new system was introduced to make it easier for players to see their ranking in a more accessible manner.
The ATP uses this system to determine which players will get into the most elite tournaments.
Tennis ratings are a great way to measure an athlete’s progress in the sport. In addition to comparing athletes within age groups and genders, a player’s rating helps tournaments match athletes of similar skill levels.
The ‘Star’ system also rewards the development of a player’s tennis skills.
- Countable wins
Countable wins are those that add up to a certain number of points.
The ATP uses a system that equates the points from the most valuable wins in a year with the points from all losses.
This is different from the WTA, which only counts the most valuable wins in a year.
For instance, the ATP relies on the results from four majors and eight of the nine Masters events. In addition, it also includes the highest four-point totals from 500-level events.
The ranking of doubles players also uses a system called cumulative wins.
This method uses the best 15 countable wins in a two-year season.
A player losing to the top team will be penalized 0.1 points compared to a player failing to the 200th-ranked team.
However, there are some exceptions to this rule. Here are some ways to calculate the cumulative wins of a tennis player.
In tennis, the points system is based on the results of players in events sponsored by the ATP, WTA, and ITF.
For a player to receive a point, they must win at least two games and reach the game point at least once.
- Points earned in official ATP events
Points earned at official ATP events are a great way to increase your ranking in tennis.
These tournaments are held throughout the year, and players are given points for their best performances.
The more tournaments they win, the more points they earn. Moreover, the more prestigious the event, the more points they will accumulate.
ATP rankings update weekly. At the year’s end, the player with the most ranking points wins the ATP year-end number one trophy. The WTA uses a similar ranking system.
Players earn ranking points through a total of 16 tournaments, with Grand Slams offering the highest ranking points.
The ATP and WTA rankings are determined by the number of points a player earns at official ATP events during the season.
The WTA and ATP finals are held in late October and November. The first seven players in these rankings qualify for the finals.
There is no need to play all of the official ATP events to increase your ranking. Only the best 18 results will count towards the official end-of-the-year ranking.
The top 30 players will play four grand slams and eight masters events to reach this ranking.
- ‘Power ranking’ based on performance in the last four tournaments
Power Ranking, or PR for short, ranks competitive smashers at different levels.
They can be state-wide, regional, or even worldwide, and they are designed to showcase the best players and encourage competition.
Each power ranking is compiled by a panel made up of active smashers in a region. However, the accuracy of these rankings is limited by the information that these people have.
ATP and WTA rankings are the only rankings in sports that accurately identify a player’s level of play
ATP and WTA rankings are updated weekly. The year-end number one trophy is awarded to the player with the most ATP points.
The WTA uses a similar system, with 16 tournaments used to determine a player’s ranking. Grand Slams, the highest level tennis titles, provide the highest number of ranking points.
Men’s tennis rankings are based on total points from significant tournaments and eight mandatory Masters 1000 tournaments. Women’s rankings are based on their best six results at all ATP Tour 500 and 250 events.
The rankings are based on cumulative results over 52 weeks.
To qualify for the WTA ranking, a player must compete in at least six tournaments, including four majors, four premier mandatory events, and the season-ending WTA Finals.
Men’s tennis is an incredibly competitive sport, with millions of players and fans worldwide.
Tennis tournaments take place all year round, from professional events to entry-level ITF women’s and men’s circuits to wheelchair tennis tournaments.
There are about 60 ATP and WTA tours in nearly 40 countries, each with a different prize pool and ranking points awarded to the eventual winner.
Tennis has a year-long season, with peaks and valleys spanning the calendar year. This means that a player must constantly “defend” points at every tournament.
The highest prestige is awarded to the player who has reached the highest level of play throughout the year.
The ATP and WTA rankings are determined each year at the ATP and WTA Finals, held in London in November and Shenzhen, China, in late October.
The ATP and WTA rankings are the only ranking systems in sports that correctly identify a player’s level of play.
The ATP rankings are published on Mondays and are based on points earned in official tournaments.
Year-end rankings are the best barometer of a player’s performance for a calendar year.
Currently, Daniil Medvedev is world No. 1, Alexander Zverev is world No. 2, and Rafael Nadal is world No. 3.
Players can also be ranked by their points earned during the year.
Points are awarded for each match won or lost and for winning rounds in tournaments. Players can also earn points by finishing high on specific “rankings lists.”
For example, if a player is ranked first in doubles, then that doubles team will make an extra 600 ranking points per week.
- Exceptions to the rule
If you’re a tennis fan, you know that there are exceptions to the rule when it comes to tennis rankings. For example, tennis rankings don’t count for Davis Cup matches.
There are also exceptions to the rule for the Olympics. Olympic events don’t count toward the ATP rankings.
- Impact of rankings on prize money
In a sport dominated by top-level athletes, prize money is a critical factor in player success. As one of the few truly global sports, tennis is ripe for substantial growth, yet the sport also faces the risk of a sizeable disproportionate distribution of wealth.
In addition, the sport is one of the few where a player’s ranking determines whether they qualify for a tournament or not.
As a result, the prize money distribution is unequal throughout the rankings, and this trend has only grown more pronounced in recent years.
While top-ranked players have enjoyed substantial increases in prize money, players outside the top 100 have been left behind.
The increasing income gap is a stark example of the skewed system of prize money distribution.
It is no secret that players who are poorly ranked will make nearly nothing throughout their tennis careers.
Moreover, a teenager with poor rankings has a minuscule chance of earning anything.
That is one of the main reasons why many players continue to play the sport, even if it seems impossible at times.
The small payoff is enough to motivate players to continue playing tennis for many years.
Although the top players earn the most prize money, the biggest group of professional tennis players are outside the top 100.
These players compete primarily on the ITF circuit and ATP/WTA 250 tour.
As a result, the prize money is far lower than that of the elite tours. Even so, the pandemic has led to the postponement of several tournaments, affecting the income of players.
A merger between the ATP and WTA would be one of the most significant structural reforms in tennis in a generation.
In addition to the merger, players have been pushing for a more significant cut in prize money at Grand Slams. Some players are even calling for unionization, with Federer getting involved in the debate.
