The ATP points system: how does it work?

When discussing tennis or specific tennis players, the "world number one" is often mentioned. In recent years, this often included world-class players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, and at the time of writing , superstar Carlos Alcaraz can proudly call himself the world number one . But how does a tennis player become the best in the world, and what are the criteria for this decision? It all comes down to the ATP points system. Below, Sjeng Sports explains how this ATP points system works and how the current world number one is ultimately determined.

Association of Tennis Professionals

Let's start by explaining what the ATP abbreviation actually stands for. The ATP abbreviation stands for Association of Tennis Professionals, and this association was founded in 1972 to protect the interests of male tennis players. Incidentally, there's also a similar association in women's tennis, called the WTA, the Women's Tennis Association. In 1973, the ATP decided to implement the ATP Rankings, also known as the ATP World Rankings. This list is still published every Monday to this day, and the player who tops the ATP Rankings is considered the world number one.

The ATP Rankings were initially introduced to ensure fairer entry criteria and seeding lists for various tournaments. While public and organizer preferences were previously key factors in deciding whether or not to admit players to certain tournaments, this was now done using the ATP points system. Players earn points by achieving results in the various tournaments on the ATP calendar. The number of points players can earn is determined before each tournament. Naturally, more points can be earned at a Grand Slam or Masters tournament than at smaller tournaments.

Points via the ATP points system

To give you a clear idea of ​​how many points you can earn in each tournament, we've provided an overview below. This way, you can quickly see how many points you can earn where, which is helpful to keep in mind as you continue reading.

Grand Slam:

• Last 128: 10 points
• Last 64: 45 points
• Last 32: 90 points
• Last 16: 180 points
• Last 8: 360 points
• Last 4: 720 points
• Last 2: 1200 points
• Winner: 2000 points

Masters tournament:

• Last 64: 10 points
• Last 32: 45 points
• Last 16: 90 points
• Last 8: 180 points
• Last 4: 360 points
• Last 2: 600 points
• Winner: 1000 points

ATP 500 tournament

• Last 16: 45 points
• Last 8: 90 points
• Last 4: 180 points
• Last 2: 300 points
• Winner: 500 points

ATP 250 tournament

• Last 16: 20 points
• Last 8: 45 points
• Last 4: 90 points
• Last 2: 150 points
• Winner: 250 points

Highest Challenger Tournament

• Last 16: 10 points
• Last 8: 25 points
• Last 4: 45 points
• Last 2: 75 points
• Winner: 125 points

The overview above shows how many ATP Ranking points a player earns if they are eliminated in a specific round of a tournament or if they win the tournament. A player's points are counted for 52 weeks. However, a player who plays many more tournaments than another player doesn't necessarily earn many more points. There's a limit to the number of tournaments that count towards the ATP Rankings, and as of 2021, that limit is nineteen.

Example: Player A has played in 23 tournaments in the past 52 weeks. Only Player A's best nineteen results in that period count towards the ATP Rankings. The four tournaments in which Player A performed the least during that 52-week period are not included in the ATP Rankings. This ensures fairness, and the focus is on performance, not the number of tournaments a player has played. If a player earned a lot of points in a tournament played exactly 52 weeks ago, they will "defend" their points in the next tournament, and it is therefore important for that player to perform well in the next tournament to maintain their position in the ATP Rankings.

ATP points system: why is it important to rank high?

So, it's important for players to rank high in the ATP Rankings. Being in the world's top 100 is especially crucial. Being in the top 100 automatically grants you entry into the Grand Slam tournaments, where you can earn plenty of points (and a lot of money). Moreover, you can showcase yourself on the biggest stage, which is, of course, what almost every tennis player strives for. Curious about the current state of the ATP Rankings? This link will keep you updated and will always know who's the world number one!