ATP and WTA ranking points explained
Both tours rank players by results over the past 52 weeks, with points dropping off after one year.
ATP and WTA rankings use a rolling 52-week system. Grand Slam winners earn 2000 points, while WTA 1000 champions earn 1000 points.
Key takeaways
- Rankings count results from the previous 52 weeks
- Grand Slam winners receive 2000 points
- Finalists receive 1300 points
- First-round losers receive 10 points
- WTA singles rankings count a maximum of 18 tournaments
The ATP and WTA rankings use a rolling 52-week system, meaning a player's position is determined by points earned over the most recent year rather than a career total.
Points are added when a tournament is played and drop off exactly 52 weeks after they were awarded. Because tournaments do not always align perfectly on the calendar, points can occasionally disappear before the following edition of an event rather than after it.
This creates a constantly updated reflection of recent form.
What are ATP and WTA ranking points?
Points are awarded based on the level of the tournament and how far a player progresses.
The four Grand Slams—the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open—deliver the most points, awarding 2,000 to the winner and 1,300 to the finalist, down to 10 points for players who lose in the first round.
Other tournaments are categorized by how many points the winner collects. From 2021, the WTA rebranded its tiers to replicate those on the ATP Tour, meaning both now have 1,000, 500, and 250 events.
Winning a WTA 500 tournament earns 500 points, while a WTA 1000 title brings 1,000 points. Players earn points for every round they reach, so even a quarter-final or semi-final run at a major can significantly affect the rankings.
How do the tours count tournaments?
The ATP rankings count the best results from a fixed number of tournaments. For a top-30 player, the minimum ideally amounts to 18: four Grand Slams, eight ATP Masters 1000 events, and at least six others. The WTA ranking is based on results from a maximum of 18 tournaments for singles and 12 for doubles.
What points do Grand Slams award?
Grand Slam tournaments award the highest number of points on both tours. Winning any of the four majors gives a player 2,000 ranking points. The finalist receives 1,300 points, with points decreasing through the semi-finals, quarter-finals, and earlier rounds, down to 10 points for a first-round exit.
What happens when points drop off?
Points stick around for 52 weeks and then drop off. When a player enters a tournament, they still have the points earned at the previous edition.
This is known as defending, and it means the best players of the previous year are most at risk in the following. Win a Grand Slam title for 2,000 points and then lose in the first round, and expect a precipitous drop in ranking.
Players sometimes drop in the rankings even after playing well because everything depends on how their current result compares to the same tournament one year earlier.
Why it matters
The system works more like a record of recent results than an entire career. Without a protected ranking, players returning from absence would be forced to play smaller tournaments to build ranking points.
When players are tied on ranking points, the WTA uses tiebreakers including the most total points from all WTA and Grand Slam tournaments, the fewest number of tournaments in a 52-week period, and the highest number of points from one tournament.
What happens next
As the 52-week window continues to move, players must defend their points from the previous year at each event. Those who performed well in a tournament last season face the greatest risk of falling in the standings if they cannot match or improve on that result this year.
Sources
Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy or use the flag button above. Our editorial standards explain how we report.
Related stories
Discussion
Sign in or create a free account to join the discussion. Please follow our community guidelines.