- What Is ATP?
- ATP Tourin Tournaments
- How Does the ATP Ranking Work?
- What is WTA?
- WTA Tourin Tournaments
- How Does the WTA Ranking Work?
- Where Can You Watch ATP?
- FAQ
International Tennis Leagues
In addition to tournaments, tennis is also played in a league format and this article explains how the men’s (ATP) and women’s (WTA) international tennis leagues are played.
What Is ATP?
ATP, the Association of Tennis Professionals, is the organization of professional men’s tennis players and is responsible for organizing the annual ATP Tour.
ATP Tourin Tournaments
The ATP Tour is an annual men’s tennis league. It includes 64+ tournaments in 31+ countries.
| Tournament type | Amount of Tournaments | ATP-Points | Prize money (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam | 4 | 2000 | Grand Slam specific |
| ATP Finals | 1 | 1100-1500 | 4 450 000$ |
| ATP Masters 1000 | 9 | 1000 | 2 450 000 – 3 645 000$ |
| ATP Tour 500 | 13 | 500 | 755 000 – 2 100 000$ |
| ATP Tour 250 | 40 | 250 | 415 000 – 1 025 000$ |
The number of tournaments, winning points, and prize money are indicative, as they vary from season to season.
Men’s Grand Slam Tournaments
Grand Slam tournaments are the biggest, most prestigious, and most important tournaments in tennis. It is the event where players gain the most ATP points and fame.
A Grand Slam is an achievement that means that the player has won 4 Grand Slam tournaments (major tournaments) in one calendar year.
In practice, however, winning a Grand Slam usually means that a player has won one of the following tournaments:
Grand Slamin -turnaukset:
- Australia Open
- French Open
- Wimbledon
- US Open
| Tournament | Location | Court Surface |
|---|---|---|
| Australia Open | Melbourne | Hard |
| Roland Garros | Pariisi | Clay |
| Wimbledon | Lontoo | Grass |
| US Open | New York | Hard |
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the first of four annual Grand Slam tournaments. It starts in mid-January and lasts for two weeks.
The Australian Open has prize money of $71,500,000 (65,609,271,55€) and is shared between all competitors
French Open
The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, is the next Grand Slam tournament after the Australian Open. Roland-Garros starts at the end of May and lasts for two weeks.
Currently, Roland-Garros is the only Grand Slam tournament played on a clay court. Because of the type of court, it is considered to be the most physically demanding tournament.
The French Open has prize money of €43,600,000 (47,514,626,00$) and is worth 2,000 points.
Wimbledon
Wimbledon is the oldest, most famous, and most prestigious tennis tournament. It is the third Grand Slam after Roland-Garros. Wimbledon starts in late July and lasts for two weeks.
Wimbledon is also the only Grand Slam tournament played on a traditional grass court. Grass is considered the most difficult surface in tennis because of its speed, slipperiness, and the low bounce of the ball.
Because of the tradition and the challenging nature of the court, Wimbledon is generally regarded as the biggest and most important Grand Slam.
The prize money at Wimbledon is £5,016,000 (6,384,640,68$) and winning it earns 2,000 points.
US Open
The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the season. The US Open starts on the last Monday in August and continues for the next two weeks.
The US Open is one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the world (141 years old) and Wimbledon is only four years older (145 years old).
The prize money for the US Open is $57,500.00 (52,84,076,55€) and winning the tournament awards 2,000 points.
ATP Masters 1000
The ATP Masters 1000 is the second-largest annual series of tennis tournaments after the Grand Slams. It includes 9 tournaments featuring the top players in the ATP rankings. As the name suggests, winning the ATP Masters 1000 earns 1000 ATP points.
The ATP has defined a commitment for a committed player to play in every ATP Masters 1000 doubles tournament for which he is accepted.
A commitment player is defined as a player with an ATP ranking of 30 or better in singles. If a committed player fails to perform following his commitment, his ranking may be reduced by a penalty.
The ATP Masters 1000 prize money is $5,007,832 (4,602,046,55€).
ATP 500
The ATP 500 is the fourth-highest annual series of tennis tournaments and includes 13 tournaments. As the name suggests, winning the ATP 500 earns 500 points.
Committed players are automatically accepted into the ATP Tour 500. In addition, committed players are required to participate in at least four ATP Tour 500 tournaments.
The ATP Tour 500 prize money is $1,803,832 (1,657,667,20€).
ATP Tour 250
The ATP Tour 250 is an annual series of lower-level tennis tournaments. It consists of 40 tournaments and 250 ATP points are awarded for winning them.
The ATP Tour 250 prize money is $615,151 (565305,21€).
ATP Finals
The ATP Finals is the season-ending event and is the second biggest tennis event after the Grand Slams.
The ATP Finals features the ATP’s top eight singles players and top eight singles players.
However, the format of the tournament differs from other ATP Tour tournaments. In the ATP Finals, players are divided into two separate groups, after which players from each group play three sets of matches against all players in the other group. The top two players from each group advance to the semi-finals and then to the finals.
Winning the ATP Finals will earn between 1,100 and 1,500 points and a prize money of $7,250,000 (6,662,531,30€).
ATP Cup
The ATP Cup is an international tournament played in the national team format. Teams are limited to a maximum of five players and the number of teams varies from season to season. In 2022, 16 teams participated in the ATP Cup.
The tournament is played in sets of two doubles and one doubles match.
The ATP Cup will award 750 points to the winners of the doubles matches, while 250 points will be awarded to the winners of the singles matches. The prize money for the tournament is $15,000,000 (13,784,547,52€).
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the most prestigious men’s national team tournament organized annually by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
In the tournament, countries are divided into two sections: a world group and a Regional Zones. The World Group is made up of the 18 best national teams, while the remaining countries are divided into three Regional Zones.
The Regional Zones are Europe/Africa, America, and Asia/Oceania.
In addition, the teams will be divided into four different level groups:
- World Group I (1)
- World Group II (2)
- World Group III (3)
- World Group IV (1) (2) World Group II (3) World Group II (3) World Group III (3) World Group IV (4)
The Davis Cup finals will be made up of 16 teams, which will be further divided into four groups. Teams from each group will play against teams from all other groups. The matches between the teams will consist of four singles matches and one doubles match.
The top two teams in each group will progress to the quarter-finals. The semi-finals will work in the same way as the World Cup, with the winning team advancing and the losing team being knocked out.
The winner of the Davis Cup will not receive ATP points, but there is a prize money of $15,300,000 (14,060,238,47€).
Laver Cup
The Laver Cup is an international men’s tennis tournament between Team Europe and Team World. The Team World can include players from any continent other than Europe.
Laver Cup matches are usually played in a best-of-three format, but in a 1-1 draw, the last set is played tie-break to 10 points to save time.
No ATP points are awarded for winning the Laver Cup, but each player from the winning team is awarded a prize money of $250,000 (229742,46€).
Next Generation ATP Finals
The Next Generation ATP Finals is a year-ending tournament for men under 21. The tournament is played between 8 players (the top 7 U21 players of the season and 1 wild card player). Players will be divided into two groups, with players playing against all players in the other group. The group stage will be followed by the semi-finals and finals.
There are no ATP points for winning the Next Generation ATP Finals, which is a test tournament to try out new rules and technologies. However, there is a prize pool of $2,275,000 (2,090656,37€) to be shared between all competitors.
How Does the ATP Ranking Work?
Each player has their own international ATP ranking, which indicates their level compared to other players. This section explains what a player’s ATP ranking is and how it works.
ATP-Ranking
A tennis player’s ATP ranking is made up of the ATP points that can be won from ATP Tour events. The ATP Tour is a year-long tournament, during which a player can accumulate points from tournaments at different levels, such as the ATP 500. A player receives points based on how far he or she has progressed in that tournament.
The ATP ranking is calculated from the player’s 19 best ATP Tour results over the last 52 weeks. The rankings are updated every Monday.
In simple terms, the ATP ranking shows how well a player has performed over the last 12 months on the ATP Tour and how their ranking compares to other players.
The ATP Tour is the world’s largest international tennis league and basically, the number one player on the ATP rankings is the best men’s tennis player in the world at that time
What is WTA?
The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) is the governing body for women’s professional tennis. The WTA is the equivalent of the ATP for men.
WTA Tourin Tournaments
The WTA organizes the annual WTA Tour, the highest level of competition in women’s tennis, with over 50 annual events. WTA Tour tournaments consist of five types of tournaments.
- Grand Slam
- WTA Finals
- WTA 1000
- WTA 500
- WTA 250
Women’s Grand Slam Tournaments
The women’s Grand Slam tournaments are similar in all aspects to the men’s, but the women’s matches are played in a best-of-three format, while the men play in a best-of-five format.
WTA 1000 Tournaments
The WTA 1000 is the highest-ranking female tennis tournament; its tournaments can be mandatory or optional.
Mandatory tournaments are tournaments that a player must enter if their ranking is good enough to qualify for the tournament. If a player fails to participate in a compulsory tournament she will be awarded zero(0) points for that tournament.
Optional tournaments are similar to compulsory tournaments, but participation is dependent on a player’s ranking. If a player has a good ranking and qualifies directly for the main tournament bracket, she will have a higher commitment to participate in the tournaments.
The WTA 1000 tournaments have a prize pool of $1,000,000 (918 969,83€) and winning a tournament earns 1,000 points.
WTA 500 Tournaments
WTA 500 tournaments can be mandatory or optional. However, the entry requirement is more lenient compared to WTA 1000 tournaments.
WTA 500 tournaments have a prize money of $500.00 (459 4799,55€) and 470 points for winning the tournament.
WTA 250 Tournaments
WTA 250 tournaments are optional tournaments, with a ranking of 750 or better required to enter.
WTA 250 tournaments have a prize pool of $250,000 (229 742,46€) and 280 points are awarded for winning a tournament.
WTA Finals
The WTA Finals is an end-of-season tournament where the top players in the WTA rankings (top 7-8 players/teams) compete.
The format of play in the WTA Finals is the same as in the ATP, i.e. players are divided into two groups, after which all players in the group play against all other players in the group. The top two players from each group will advance to the semi-finals and then to the finals.
The prize money for the WTA Finals is $5,000,000 (4 594849,17€) and the winning player(s) can receive up to 1,500 points.
How Does the WTA Ranking Work?
A tennis player’s WTA ranking is made up of the WTA points that can be won from WTA Tour events. The ranking is calculated from the player’s best 16 (11 in singles) WTA Tour results over the last 52 weeks. A player is awarded points based on how far they have finished in that tournament.
The WTA is the leading women’s international tennis league and the WTA’s number one player is basically the best women’s tennis player in the world at the time.
Where Can You Watch ATP?
| Streaming Service |
|---|
| Discovery Plus (doesn’t broadcast all of the ATP tournaments) |
| TennisTV |
| Eurosport (doesn’t broadcast all of the ATP tournaments) |
FAQ
Who has won the most men’s singles Grand Slam titles?
Novak Djokovic 23
- 10x Australian Open
- 3x French Open
- 7x Wimbledon
- 3x US Open
Who has won the most women’s singles Grand Slam titles?
Serena Williams 23
- 7x Australia Open
- 3x French Open
- 7x Wimbledon
- 6x US Open
Who has won the most men’s ATP Finals titles?
Roger Federer 6
What is the ATP single-season points record?
16,585 points, Novak Djokovic, 2015
Who has won the most women’s WTA Finals titles?
Martina Navratilova 8
What does the term “Open” mean in the tournament?
– Open means that anyone can enter the tournament if they have a high enough ranking.
What is the oldest tennis tournament in the world?
– Wimbledon, founded 1877 (146 years old) – 2023
Has any player won all Grand Slams in the same year?
– Yes, the following players have earned themselves a Grand Slam achievement:
- Don Budge, 1938
- Rod Laver, 1962 & 1969
- Maureen Connolly 1953
- Margaret Court 1970
- Steffi Graf 1988