How do tennis rankings work?
Jack Draper is set to miss the rest of the tennis season after suffering an arm injury – but how could it impact his world ranking?
The British number one is ranked number seven in the world, but he is set to lose his place in the top 10 by the end of 2025 as a result of the points-based system.
Rankings are based on the number of points earned in a rolling 52-week cumulative process, with positions used to determine seedings at tournaments.
The men's rankings are formed from a maximum of 20 tournaments, while the women's are from 18.
In the men's game, those 20 qualifying tournaments consist of the four Grand Slams, the ATP Finals, the eight mandatory ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, then the seven best performances at lower ranked-tournaments – including non-mandatory ATP Masters 1000 events, all ATP 500 series and all ATP 250 series.
For players not qualifying for the ATP Finals, 19 tournaments are counted. Ranking points also cannot be gained from playing in the Olympics.
How many ranking points for a Grand Slam?
Grand slam points for men:
- Winner: 2000 points
- Runner-up: 1200 points
- Semi-finals: 720 points
- Quarter-finals: 360 points
- Round of 16: 180 points
- Round of 32: 90 points
- Round of 64: 45 points
- Round of 128: 10 points
- Qualifiers: 25 points
How are rankings different in women's tennis?
In the women's game, their 18 tournaments consist of the four Grand Slams, the ATP Finals, six WTA 1000 mandatory combined/virtually combined tournaments, one WTA 1000 mandatory tournament consisting of WTA-only players, then seven results from other events.
The number drops to 17 if they fail to reach the ATP Finals.
Ranking points are accumulated via wins and progression through tournaments, with higher-ranked events worth more points.
The number of ranking points available from a major is slightly different for women, with the runner-up taking home more points than in the men's game.
Grand Slam points for women:
- Winner: 2000 points
- Runner-up: 1300 points
- Semi-finals: 780 points
- Quarter-finals: 430 points
- Round of 16: 240 points
- Round of 32: 130 points
- Round of 64: 70 points
- Round of 128: 10 points
- Qualifiers: 40 points
The ranking of a player's opponent is generally not factored in when determining points.
The only exception is the United Cup, where points for both the ATP and WTA rankings are awarded based on the rankings of the opponents beaten.
What is a protected ranking?
Protected rankings allow tennis players to return to major tournaments following time away from the sport, usually because of injury.
They are used by top-performing players to enter the main draw or qualifying competition of Grand Slams and other tournaments if their ranking has dropped too low during their time off for them to be automatically eligible.
Entry to the main draw of Grand Slams is determined by world rankings, with a cutoff around number 100. Protected rankings allow players who have fallen beyond this cutoff to enter directly through the main draw.
Protected rankings cannot be used to obtain a seeding, meaning that players entering Grand Slams this way may face top players earlier in the tournament.
Players can petition the ATP or WTA (the governing bodies for men's and women's tennis respectively) for a protected ranking when they have been absent from any tennis events for at least six months because of a physical injury.
Women who are making a comeback to tennis after maternity leave are also eligible.
On the men's side, a protected ranking is calculated using the player's average ranking over three months following their injury. They can use this ranking for the first nine tournaments or months following their comeback – whichever comes first. But if the player is out for more than a year, this is extended to 12 tournaments/months.
On the women's side, their ranking stays the same as it was at the time of injury. They can use this ranking for eight tournaments in a single season, or 12 tournaments if they miss more than one year.
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