Daniil Medvedev believes limiting ranking points to only the top events could help ease the workload for players and help streamline the Tour.
The former world No. 1 believes players would support the idea of implementing more mandatory tournaments if lower-level events, such as ATP 250s and 500s, no longer awarded ranking points. The Tour calendar has been debated by numerous players in recent months who have expressed concerns that it is too congested and could be putting their health at risk. As it currently stands, the tennis season typically begins in the first week of January, with the ATP Finals taking place 11 months later in November.
Under the current rule, a player’s ranking is based on 18 countable events over one season. This is one less than last year due to the removal of an ATP 500 commitment. Furthermore, any points earned between the Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals will now count toward the following year’s ranking.
“I would think the players would agree, from what I’m hearing, to making… even more mandatory tournaments,”Medvedev said following his opening win at the Dubai tennis Championships.
“I would say make four Grand Slams, I don’t know, 11 Masters, and that’s it. The other tournaments (500- and 250-level events), maybe make them without points or something.”
Medvedev didn’t comment on how he would solve the issue of lower-ranked players earning points in order to play in these events, should his suggestion ever become a reality. Out of the 22 titles he has won so far in his career, 10 have been at an ATP 250 and four were at an ATP 500. He has also won six Masters, the 2020 Tour Finals and 2021 US Open.
As for the need for reform, the Russian cites what happened to Holger Rune as an example. The Dane fully ruptured his Achilles tendon when playing at the Stockholm Open last October.
“What happens is last year, Holger (Rune) got injured in Stockholm (250 event), everybody was like, ‘Yeah, but you don’t have to play it’. If he wants to be in Turin (for the ATP Finals), he has to, even if it’s not a mandatory tournament,” he said.
“Last year, I played in seven tournaments in a row. Did I have to? No. I played bad in the beginning of the year, maybe I can get 100 points here, 200 points here, be higher seeded next year.
“If there would be no points there, at least it is an easier decision. But it’s not going to happen.”
Andrea Gaudenzi, who is the CEO of the ATP, has already confirmed that plans are underway to reduce the number of 250 events for 2028. The year when Saudi Arabia is set to hold their first Masters 1000, which is understood to not be a mandatory event for players. The exact details of the calendar for 2028 has yet to be confirmed but is expected to be published later this year.
“In the last few years, we’ve had the strategy to reduce the number of 250s. We are from 38 down to, I don’t remember exactly the number, I think it’s 29. [30]” Gaudenzi told reporters during last year’s ATP Finals in Turin.
“The target in our effort to optimize the calendar for 2028, when the new Saudi Masters will come on board, is to continue to reduce the number of 250s.”
Excluding team events, this year’s ATP calendar features 30 250s, 16 500s, nine masters 1000 and four Grand Slams. Furthermore, there are also the Next Gen Finals and Tour Finals for those who qualify.
