LONDON — British tennis fans are watching Jack Draper’s rapid ascent with excitement, but his recent run to the final of the ATP event in Stuttgart has also sparked a common question: how exactly do those complicated tennis rankings work? The BBC Sport Ask Me Anything team dives into the points system that dictates a player's standing on the ATP and WTA Tours.
At its core, the ranking system is a rolling, 52-week calculation of a player's best results. It is not a measure of a player's entire career, but a snapshot of their performance over the past year. Points are awarded based on how far a player advances in a tournament, with the value of those points directly tied to the prestige and category of the event.
The Tournament Tiers: From Grand Slams to 250s
Not all tournaments are created equal. The ATP and WTA calendars are a hierarchy of events, each offering a different number of ranking points to the champion. The structure is as follows:
- Grand Slams (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open): The crown jewels. A title here is worth 2000 points.
- ATP Finals / WTA Finals: The year-end championship for the top eight players, offering up to 1500 points for an undefeated champion.
- ATP 1000 Masters / WTA 1000: The next tier of premier events, such as Indian Wells and Miami, awarding 1000 points to the winner.
- ATP 500 / WTA 500: Events like Queen's Club or Dubai, where the champion earns 500 points.
- ATP 250 / WTA 250: The most common tour-level events, such as Stuttgart or Eastbourne, offering 250 points to the winner.
- Challengers & ITF Events: The lower-tier professional circuits where players can earn smaller points hauls to build their ranking.
The key mechanic is the "rolling" nature of the rankings. Each week, a player's total is the sum of points from their best 19 tournaments over the past 52 weeks. As a new tournament concludes, the points a player earned at that same event the previous year drop off and are replaced by the points from the current year's performance.
The Jack Draper Stuttgart Case Study
This is where Jack Draper's situation provides a perfect, real-time example. In 2023, Draper had a disappointing early exit in the first round of Stuttgart, earning a mere 10 points. This week, by reaching the final, he has earned 300 points. When the new rankings are released, those 10 points from 2023 will be replaced by 300 points from 2024, resulting in a net gain of 290 points.
This "swap" is the engine of ranking movement. A deep run at a tournament where a player had little or no points to defend the previous year can lead to a massive ranking jump. Conversely, a player who won a title the previous year and loses early this year will see a huge points deduction. As one analyst put it, "Your ranking is not just about what you did this week, but what you are doing compared to what you did this time last year."
The Race vs. The Rankings
It's crucial to distinguish between the official "52-week Ranking" and the "Race to Turin" (ATP) or "Race to the WTA Finals." The Race is a separate, parallel tally that starts at zero every January and only accumulates points for the current calendar year. Its sole purpose is to determine the top eight players who qualify for the year-end championships. The official ranking, which determines seeding for tournaments and direct entry into main draws, remains the 52-week rolling calculation.
Special Rules: Injuries and Protected Rankings
The system has provisions for long-term injuries. If a player is out for a minimum of six months, they can apply for a "Protected Ranking" (PR). This allows them to use their ranking from the time of their injury for entry into tournaments for a set period upon their return, though they still have to defend the points from their pre-injury results. This is a vital safety net for players like Rafael Nadal or Naomi Osaka returning from extended absences.
Criticisms and Proposed Changes
The current system is not without its critics. Some argue it discourages top players from competing week-in, week-out, as they can "sit" on points from a few big results. Others point out it can be overly punitive for players who get injured during their peak, forcing them to defend huge points while not fully fit. The ATP has experimented with changes, and a potential shift to a "Best of" system over 24 months has been discussed to create more stability for elite players.
The WTA recently implemented a significant change for new mothers, introducing a "Special Ranking" that can be used for seeding purposes upon return from maternity leave, a move widely praised for supporting players like Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka. A WTA spokesperson emphasized the goal is fairness, stating: "Our evolving policies are designed to support the athletes throughout their entire careers and life events."
What It Means for British Tennis
For Jack Draper, his success on the grass courts of Stuttgart is the ideal scenario. He is adding a large chunk of points at a tournament where he had almost nothing to lose. This "low-risk, high-reward" situation is why young players on the rise can see their rankings skyrocket. Each big result not only adds points but also grants direct entry into bigger tournaments, allowing them to avoid qualifying rounds and accumulate even more points—a virtuous cycle that can propel a player into the world's top tier. For British tennis, understanding this system explains the palpable excitement around Draper's potential; he's not just winning matches, he's strategically building a ranking that could see him become a mainstay in the world's top 20 and beyond.
In conclusion, the tennis ranking system is a complex but logical engine that rewards consistent excellence over a calendar year. It is a dynamic balance of attacking new opportunities and defending past achievements. For players and fans alike, it adds a deep layer of narrative to every match, every week of the season.