With tennis stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner missing long stretches this year due to injury, the ATP Tour is proposing rule changes it says will “reduce the pressure to overplay and help players manage the demands of the season.”
Alcaraz sat out 4 ½ months and missed two Grand Slams with a right wrist injury between April and August.
The top-ranked Sinner hasn’t played since he won Wimbledon in July and announced last week that he would sit
out the rest of the year due to inflammation in his right knee.
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi on Thursday outlined a plan whereby ranking points would be redistributed to award more to players reaching the latter stages of bigger events.
A policy that enables players to replace three weaker results from Masters 1000 events each year with better results from 500-level or 250-level events later in the season would be eliminated.
“That can create pressure to add tournaments after an early loss to make up the points,” Gaudenzi said. “The proposals would remove this, so results at the biggest events count in full and players can plan their schedules around them rather than chasing points and risking overplaying.”
The proposals come while the ATP is preparing to introduce a new Masters 1000 event in Saudi Arabia that would raise the annual number of tournaments at that level to 10.
Player compensation would also rise with an increased year-end bonus pool going from $21.5 million to $50 million. And there would be a year-end bonus for players finishing in the top 250 of the rankings that would provide $25 million in career support.
Furthermore, there would be an annual player pension contribution of approximately $30 million, enhancing pension and retirement benefits for 300 players each year.
News that the men’s tour wants to reduce prize money and tournament sizes for doubles starting in 2028 came out earlier this year.
“Any prize money reallocated from doubles would remain dedicated to player compensation and is expected to be reinvested into singles qualifying and early-round prize money, helping more players invest in their careers and compete with the world’s best players,” Gaudenzi said in an open letter published on the ATP website.
“Together, these proposals are intended to give players a clearer framework for planning their seasons, reward performance at the tour’s biggest events and extend support to more players.”
The proposals remain subject to further consultation and approval.
___
See AP’s full tennis coverage here
