How the tour works
Updated
Independent desk. Figures are traced to named sources and corrections are logged — see the editorial policy.
The ranking is a 52-week window of results. Points expire a year after they are earned, which is why a defending champion is always playing for something.
The ATP ranking is not a measure of who won most in a year, nor of who is playing best now. It is a rolling accumulation of points from the last 52 weeks of results, and the structure is built around the tournament categories.
Points by tournament level
The winner of each tier receives a fixed number of points:
- Grand Slam: 2,000
- ATP Finals: up to 1,500 for an undefeated champion
- Masters 1000: 1,000
- ATP 500: 500
- ATP 250: 250
Points for earlier rounds
At a Grand Slam a finalist receives 1,300 points, a semifinalist 800 and a quarterfinalist 400. At a Masters 1000 event the finalist earns 600, a semifinalist 360 and a quarterfinalist 180. A player who loses early still earns something for the rounds he reached, which is why consistency counts in the ranking.
The 52-week window
Points earned at an event remain on a player's ranking for 52 weeks and then drop off, to be replaced by whatever the player earns at the same event in the current year. A player who won a title last year has to win it again to stay level; if he loses in the second round, his ranking falls by the difference. This is "defending points", and it is the reason that a ranking can fall even for a player who is winning matches.
Which results count
A player's ranking is made up of a fixed number of his best results. The four Grand Slams and the Masters 1000 events are mandatory for players who qualify, and the remaining counting places are filled by the best results from the 500, 250 and Challenger events. A tournament that a player skips contributes a zero in its place.
What the numbers tell you
Because a title at a Slam is worth twice a Masters 1000, a player with two Slam semifinals can be ranked above one with a Masters title. The structure favours players who go deep in the biggest events and explains why top players schedule around them.