More mandatory events, fewer points: Daniil Medvedev pitches radical ATP rankings overhaul

Daniil Medvedev has thoughts about the ATP rankings system—and, according to him, the players are largely in agreement.

The No. 3 seed spoke to the press this week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where he reached the semifinals after defeating Stan Wawrinka and then dispatching Jenson Brooksby 6-1, 6-2 in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

The Russian talked at length about the ATP calendar, top-player burnout and more. When asked what his solution would be, Medvedev outlined his vision.

“I would think the players would agree, from what I'm hearing, to making even more mandatory tournaments,” Medvedev told press in Dubai. “Because now it’s what? Nine, probably four Grand Slams.

“Make it a bit more, like, get rid of the other (tournaments). All of them. That's the only way to make the tour shorter.”

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He pointed to Holger Rune’s experience last year in Stockholm, where the Dane tore his Achilles tendon and was sidelined for the rest of the season. Some had questioned why the world No. 11 was competing at an ATP 250 event—and playing his third tournament in a row—in the first place.

“Everybody was like, 'Yeah, but you don’t have to play it.’ If he wants to be in Turin, he has to, even if it's not a mandatory tournament,” Medvedev explained.

The former world No. 1 argued that player burnout is driven less by a crowded calendar and more by the ATP’s relentless rankings system and Finals race. In that view, the solution would not be to shrink the calendar or shorten the season—changes that many top players have called for in recent years, with Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek among the most vocal.

Get rid of the other (tournaments). All of them. That's the only way to make the tour shorter.

Instead, Medvedev envisioned a streamlined tour in which top players largely compete in the same tournaments during the same weeks. That structure, he suggested, would prevent players from padding their rankings with easier points at lower-tier events such as ATP 250s and 500s, easing pressure across the tour. It’s similar to the ‘Premier Tour’ that the Grand Slams first proposed back in 2023.

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“I would say make four Grand Slams, 11 Masters, and that's it,” he said. “The other tournaments, maybe make them without (ranking) points or something. Not like exhibitions, but without (ranking) points or something.”

The obvious issue is scale. There are 16 ATP 500 tournaments and 30 ATP 250 events, and organizers have strong financial incentives to prevent those tournaments from being devalued into events that are “not like exhibitions.” The ATP Tour also can’t realistically buy back tournament licenses it has already sold.

“The other tournaments, they won't say, ‘Yeah, OK, we’re out,’ because they would lose the money,” Medvedev acknowledged. “It's business. I think right now with how the ATP Tour, it's never going to change, at least while I'm playing.”

The PIF ATP Rankings are determined by points earned at a maximum of 18 events. For top players, that includes four Grand Slams, eight automatic-entry Masters 1000 tournaments, and six “best other” results, which can come from events such as the United Cup, Monte Carlo, ATP 500s, ATP 250s, Challengers, or ITF tournaments. The Nitto ATP Finals count as an additional event in the year-end rankings.

WTA rankings are calculated in a similar way, though with seven WTA 1000 events and seven “best other” results. Top 10 WTA players are also restricted in how many WTA 250 tournaments they can play each year, generally capped at two, with three as the maximum. They are typically barred from playing WTA 125 events, and points from WTA 125 and ITF tournaments do not count toward the WTA Finals race—limitations that do not apply on the ATP side.

For Medvedev, fewer points on offer at smaller events would make a meaningful difference.

“Last year I played in seven tournaments in a row. Did I have to? No,” he said. “I played bad in the beginning of the year. Maybe I can get 100 points here, 200 points here, be higher seeded next year, et cetera, et cetera.

“If there would be no points there, at least it is an easier decision. But it's not going to happen.”

Medvedev, the 2023 Dubai champion, is into the semifinals, where he will face top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday.