Tennis: Top stars complain about stress – ATP is planning to reform the world rankings

In men's tennis, the ATP is planning to reform the world rankings to ease the burden on the top players. As the tournament series announced, the focus will be placed more on the Masters tournaments from 2028 onwards when calculating points for the world rankings. The reform is a reaction to the constant criticism of the busy tournament calendar, which top stars like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz see as the cause of their long-term injuries this season.

"The demands of the season hit hardest the players who get the furthest in the biggest tournaments," wrote the ATP on its homepage: "Many players - even those in the middle rankings - have difficulty taking enough time for regeneration when the system effectively rewards them for adding another tournament to their schedule."

From 2028 onwards, all world ranking points in the Masters tournaments should be included in the ranking. So far, players can replace up to three of their weaker results in the 1000cc events with better results in smaller tournaments in the 500cc or 250cc classes. This could create pressure "to add further tournaments to the schedule after an early elimination from a tournament in order to make up for the missing points."

Higher prize money and investment in retirement provision

According to ATP boss Andrea Gaudenzi, the changes will also pay off financially. The association, which takes care of balancing the interests of players and tournament organizers, wants to increase the bonus pool for Masters participants (from 21.5 million to 50 million dollars) and the bonus for all players in the top 250 (to 25 million dollars). In addition, the ATP wants to finance pension provision with $30 million annually.