How Do Tennis Rankings Work? (with Example) | ATP, WTA, ITF

Unlike in other sports where players are hired by clubs, tennis players need to get to the top by climbing the rankings. These rankings are based on a points system, which can be quite complicated. Here we broke it down for you by looking at one of the fastest ranking rises in tennis history: Jannik Sinner's.
0:00 - Intro
1:03 - Starting Out
1:33 - Futures Tournaments
2:14 - How to Enter Tournaments
2:44 - First ATP Point
3:37 - Challengers
4:56 - ATPs
5:27 - WTAs
6:15 - Grand Slams

[@mytennishqtv8696]

How far do you think Jannik Sinner will go? And let us know if you have any other questions about rankings so we can answer them in our next video!

[@sevaraalimova4706]

Huh

[@blaster36000]

Could you also do a video on Aslan Karatsev? He's been on the tour for years, but finally found his time & era to take on tennis's greatest golden age.

[@sergiosimbula]

Will definitely be nr one at some point and will win several Majors. His game certainly isn't complete yet. But you can tell he is the type that will do anything it takes to improve himself. Like how Nadal adapted his game to grass court to be able to win Wimbledon etc.

[@kiksgreebo147]

Can you please explain how the point system on the atp tour work? Like what's the difference between year end no 1 and regular no 1? Like how is that all calculated? I'm super confused

[@ernestadu8479]

he won!!!😃

[@christiane785]

The most important factor is you have to be good enough to win matches. Helps to be lucky and born in a country that hosts big tournaments too. Tennis is unfair in that sense.

[@urosminic6602]

Makes Novak Djokovic even bigger

[@mfzoom5401]

@@urosminic6602 Meh, Europe is different to say, Africa, the Middle East or even South America

[@chowchichang2922]

For the WTA …Do you have to be part of your country’s federation…. This could be a disadvantage if the country your in is biased towards certain players ? …. Is there a way to play ITF or Futures tournaments based on your trophy wins from the local national tournament ..?

[@jamesbedugraham8056]

The tables must turn especially for Nations that were under colonial back in the 1950s and 1960s. Europe must help us on the African Continent to develop our Tennis Courts. Especially we need more ITF Tournmanents especially in West East and Central Africa compared to the North and the Southern Part of Africa. Morocco Tunisia Egypt and South Africa have the backing of the ATP the WTA and the ITF Elites you knoe.

[@goldendynamite105]

Jannik is a perfect example of a player that had to start from scratch. This is an excellent explanation, and also one of the only ones I could find on youtube. Keep up the good work!

[@zjzr08]

Sinner is very interesting being a teenager who didn't go to Juniors and went straight to Futures...seemingly worked for him.

[@turbotaquitogoogle8095]

I really wish this video was more in depth. I would've loved more info about the wta and how it differs from atp, plus how rankings adjust year to year, and how points just be defended etc

[@leecherlarry]

Great video! How about a video explaining how pro players enter an ATP250, ATP500, and ATP1000 event. some get appearance fees, others don't. etc

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Great suggestion!

[@jonrobles1468]

I think he's a future GS winner. Maybe not this year, but certainly within the next couple of years. To reach the top 10 at the age of 20 is amazing. I'm looking forward to the trajectory of his career. I think he's going to be a consistent top 5 player, but #1 remains to be seen. Even an all-time great like John McEnroe has high praise for Sinner. (I think he breaks through at either the Australian or U.S. Open.)

[@lorerojas9]

April 2024 and he is No2. Hopefully soon to be No 1!

[@juicevox5160]

It would be nice to show how players fall in the rankings as well. Like, how players have to 'defend' the points that they earned last season.

[@ztofii]

I love Jannik and have watched him progress over the last few years he has been a breath of fresh air to the tour humble and devoted he will be a well deserved grand slam champion or world number 1 no doubt!

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Indeed!

[@zjzr08]

There's also the additional 4 + 8 + 7 + ATP Finals rule where if you qualify in the main draw of the Grand Slams and 1000s the points there have to count even if you have higher points in smaller tournaments.

[@epicurusepicurus]

Great video. Exactly the type of contents I was looking for as someone relatively new to the sport.

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Happy you enjoyed it!

[@janarosez111]

This was the perfect explanation. Thank you for this video.

[@kentayagi9530]

Thank you for this! Though I am expecting the video to only be about the rankings, I really appreciate that the Futures and Challengers tournaments are also discussed since I am curious and struggling wrapping my head around those tournaments.

[@choukinb1941]

He will be number 1 one day , what an achievement so far. Way to go Sinner

[@harshpatel5280]

Very good work on researching Jannik👍

[@ddjr6673]

You Tube algorithm has worked. One of your videos popped up as a suggestion. (Cult Tennis, Tennis TV etc.) and I really like your channel. Just got yourself another subscriber. Really appreciate your content.

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Thank you!

[@aldroid4844]

Well done 👏 A great run down of the system. Just so you know there are 10,000 guys or more trying to get there first ATP points. I personally remember each stage of the process.

[@brettneuberger6466]

This is great! Thanks!

[@nabilarifda3094]

Watching this after he won grand slam and now #2 and on his way to #1 …amazing

[@anirudhpraveen7410]

Earned a sub. Great content

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Thank you!

[@pencilcheck]

thanks for the breakdown, didn't know there are such differences and the points needed to get to the top. Damn...

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Happy you enjoyed it!

[@bandykootkootkoot4334]

This video presented a simple way to explain the complicated process of how one obscure tennis player climb in the rankings. Very informative and shows a clear picture of what a player goes through before he breaks into the big leagues. As for Jannik Sinner, he's a future star. But first, he needs to beat the Big 2 - Djokovic & Nadal for him to inherit the right to be part of the pantheon of the best tennis players of all time.

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Thank you for your feedback!

[@sakor1323]

Great content! Would like to see more on what it takes to become pro

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Thank you!

[@alxgalben]

Cool channel! I've already watched all of your videos. And I have a suggestion : I've never understood how top players move trough ranking. For example, how the ranking starts again at the beginning of every year, when the ranking stops at the end of every year (what the players have to do to finish as nr. 1, like Djokovic), what happens when a player surpass another player in the ranking, etc.. You may have got the idea :D. Thank you!

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Thank you!

[@whateverreally1347]

Rankings don’t start again at the beginning of the year, otherwise it would be chaos as whoever won the first little tournament of the year would be world number 1 and the seeding at the Australian Open would be ridiculous. You could end up with Nadal - Djokovic in round 1 or something. Instead, rankings at any given point in time are based on the last 52 weeks (or last 365 days if you will). So at the end of every week, players add the ranking points of their result at the most recent tournament, but also lose all the points they got that same week in the calendar from a year ago. So there’s a lot of pressure to always match or exceed your previous year’s result or you lose ranking points. For instance, someone who wins a Grand Slam one year, then reaches the final and loses the next year, will actually see their rankings points drop by 800 pts after the second year’s event, because they pick up 1200 pts for reaching the final in that year, and lose the 2000 pts they had gotten from winning the year before. It’s quite brutal. Because of this, it’s possible for a player to move up in the rankings in a week in which they didn’t play any events. If you didn’t play any events that week last year, you don’t have any points to defend. And if a few of the players ranked closely above you did play a tournament that week last year and did worse this year, they’re going to lose standings points and you could leapfrog them. Nothing special happens when one player moves ahead of another. But as mentioned in the video, at the lower levels, rankings is super important to qualify for events. At the top level, the ranking is more about the seeding. If you’re world no1 you’ll always be seeded no1 in any event you play in, which often means you get a bye in the first round, and you get to avoid the other top ranked players until the later rounds of the tournament.

[@jaegertier6352]

@@whateverreally1347 came to answer, you did it way better I could 😂👍🏻

[@ddjr6673]

@@whateverreally1347 Wow, thank you for that. Really great explanation. As I am from the UK, Emma Raducanu's ranking over the next year or two will be fascinating to watch.

[@Dylan-od2mp]

@@whateverreally1347 masterclass!!

[@jeffhermida4788]

Great explanation! Where does UTR pro circuit fit into this?? I feel like it fills in the gap between Futures and Challenger tournaments in terms of cash prize and skill level. I could be wrong though. Thanks for another excellent video.

[@stefanthomassen4750]

I see more potential in Alcaraz and also in Musetti, Sinner is a very good ball-bouncer, but it lacks in ideas to win against a certain players type. Sure, he still is young, but there are others with same or more abilities. Don´t see him as a No.1 or Slam-Winner, he has to line in a queue of Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Zverev and Thiem, who all are not much older, but much more experienced to beat the big guys....

[@avikammishra8941]

Hope you see what he is doing now without injuries.

[@brenhugh]

I just watched Emilio Nava for the first time. His mind blowing level in that first set v Murray at The US Open must surely mark him out as a future great, alongside Alcaraz and Sinner of course.

[@jauns4955]

A esto llamo contenido de calidad!!!

[@faezmohtar947]

great video and make me appreciate more about tennis player. new subscriber here

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Thank you!

[@architennis]

Good basic info. Next do one on defending points and how all that works.

[@alnacional550]

Look where Jannik is now! Top 4, and he just won his very first Grand Slam title (Australian Open).

[@eslynbeck9197]

I liked the Te Anau feature!

[@sergiosimbula]

Cool content!

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Thank you!

[@ozanuluca1330]

Great Video ! - Sinner will be #1 in the near future and will win multiple GS

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Thank you! We think so too

[@Carlos-ph1bb]

He’s destined for greatness. Grand slam winner and number one for sure

[@tubeontherox]

Do a WTA version too please :)

[@tomr6955]

Next can you cover Swiateks journey and how hard (or not hard) it is for women?

[@rthrobo]

underrated!!

[@waterconsultant90]

Please share detailed video for how participate in ATP Chanlenger tournament. And how registration in ATP Tour

[@luckyvinny]

Doesn’t look too bad, I’ll give it a shot 😉

[@Pop101aka]

great vid. could have also gone over protected rankings too

[@adamcravets5408]

This was good to learn how a 0 becomes ranked. What I was hoping for was how the ongoing rankings are calculated. Like why do some players show “loosing points” after a tournament? I saw a tournament where a player made the finals and lost and went down in the rankings because he lost more points than he earned. What’s with that?

[@lopelle1]

after 52 weeks have passed after a tournament ends you lose the points you were awarded. so let's say i won last year an atp 500 and this year i get to the finals of the same tournament but not win i will lose points. since my points from last year expired and this year i got only the points for the finals appearance.

[@adamcravets5408]

@@lopelle1 Thank you! That was the piece I was missing in my understanding of ongoing point totals.

[@PerrincinaSprecaci]

I have a couple of questions. I am a new tennis fan and just beginning to learn about scoring and rankings. I've researched this and have not yet found a straight answer. Is it possible for a player with no ATP ranking at all to get a wild card into a Grand Slam (particularly Wimbledon)? If yes, why would he be granted one and who decides? Would he have to say, "audition" in front of a panel of judges by playing to show what he can do? Or am I just completely wrong and it's not even possible? Also, would his ranking as a junior player be considered or is juniors just a totally separate thing? Thanks for considering my questions!

[@udishomer5852]

Technically its possible for a Grand Slam to give wild cards to non ranked players, but I don't think it ever happened. Wild cards are usually given to players from the country the tournament is played in, or to players who are "interesting" (like famous past players or rising new talents).

[@alnacional550]

We need an updated video now that Jannik is already a Grand Slam winner. 🎉

[@AIKnowYou]

Ah so in reality there is a fame/luck factor as well in the sense that even if you're really good, unless you get noticed and get "invited" you might get set back in the long grind, or worse, not ever even make it. Makes you wonder how many great tennis players exist or would have existed but never got their chance, assuming they had the talent just not the opportunities. Kinda like how there are insanely talented musicians who will never be famous.

[@pankajarora8902]

Nice 👍

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Thank you!

[@anitaru2001]

Question, when do points expires? Obviously Nadal racks up points last few years but this year his ranking drop outside 100. And it doesn’t seems like every year everybody starts at 0 again. So how exactly does that work?

[@JoJo-Mo-63]

WTA next please!

[@king0vdarkness]

how do the grand slam draws work? im guessing its not ramndom otherwise we'd get huge matches in r1

[@christophercasey7388]

You left out the part about rankings being based on the last 12 months points. If you win Wimbledon your ranking goes way up, but if you lose first round the next year, while also losing last year's points, your ranking goes way down.

[@haleemanafri8299]

Could you please do a video about how wta ranking works

[@vinityaduvanshi44]

Much needee

[@braydenwong7193]

thx

[@RockwoodSessions]

Can you do a video with Alcaraz?

[@andreapatti7167]

Nice vídeo, could have been less confusing without the womens point system. If you really want to explain that maybe make a separate video.

[@dhafirsyarahman3094]

HE WON GRAND SLAM !!

[@LubaLuba1]

Can you talk about what they did they changed that made it even harder for players to be pro unless your rich.

[@ultraviolet6989]

He just helped Italy win the 2023 Davis Cup, beating Djokovic twice along the way🤯

[@Insider_talks]

And he just gor his first grand slam

[@HermitsBM]

He definitely has top 3 potential

[@mytennishqtv8696]

👍🏼👍🏼

[@dawnmcdade154]

The WTA now uses the same point system as the ATP. I think Sinner will reach #1

[@mdvv6312]

He has potential to reach no.1 rank before age 25. He needs good coaching and practice besides fitness. These are the days of power games and fitness is top priority. Practice must target on Service with minimal faults and intelligent placement, not long rallies.

[@applesforakbar]

Do you think it's possible that there was/is a superstar in the making that just never got their future's chance and we'll never know about them?

[@MrJayb76]

why does he look like he could be Rublevs brother?

[@giventema4009]

Who's after his grand slam win

[@Lewythefly]

You didn't cover how long to keep points and how players have to defend the points from previous tournaments or they lose them. That's where it gets complicated

[@zjzr08]

In a way it isn't complicated as it is really just a 52 week shelf life (it was more complicated during covid time where points are frozen and points dropping are at times are half dropped instead) - it is however in terms of same tournaments dropping same week (maybe due to calendar changes usually during Olympic years) or gains (usually when points drop to be replaced by something higher).

[@11lawpt1]

didn’t the WTA changed their event names?

[@mytennishqtv8696]

They did - I completely missed that. Edited the video now, thanks for the feedback!

[@wittyroark]

But WTA events are also classified as 125 , 250, 500, 1000 ... Why r u saying they r not ?

[@rafarequeni822]

They weren't until last year.

[@mytennishqtv8696]

They did - I missed that. Thanks for the tip!

[@marco4ad]

I guess wildcards were the key for his ascending career

[@wizwonder99]

He just beat Jokavic 😮 🎉 he can do anything with that said

[@eddyperez-reyes6597]

Looks like he has… 🇦🇺

[@eurabio]

He'll be the guy who will be second of Carlos Alcaraz.

[@sevaraalimova4706]

I think Sinner will win a grand slam. But I don’t think he’ll ever top the big 3

[@zyxelk7368]

you said players between 300-600 plays chalangers....a lots of challangers have top 100 players in the draw

[@mytennishqtv8696]

That’s the cutoff to get in. If you’re ranked higher you can obviously get in

[@tomr6955]

@@mytennishqtv8696 I don't know how you take the time to respond to absurd questions.

[@mytennishqtv8696]

@@tomr6955 Lol

[@Smoothie782]

Why 19 that’s such a weird number why 20

[@pencilcheck]

then it would make sense tennis players have to fly everywhere because there aren't that many tennis tournaments that award tennis points.

[@mytennishqtv8696]

Exactly

[@martinadu86]

Jannik has already won a grand slam

[@mogheanil]

Sinner might fluke a slam or 2 but he doesnt have the legs to become a legend of the game imo

[@santino5852]

You can’t fluke a slam or 2 that’s not how it works

[@J.Pinkman2039]

You still so sure about that? 😏

[@v0ldy54]

Comment not aging so well

[@mikecj1048]

No entendí ni j

[@janetporter5376]

Confused.

[@Tewari_traders]

Yannik won Grand slam

[@rattata30]

So at the beginning is all political like everything else!

[@cokomoko7]

Why do you open your video with American sports. Who cares?

[@jeansebastienzavallone6463]

@mytennishqtv8696 How can we suscribe ouserlf to enter the qualification of a Future tournament ?