ATP Announces COVID-19 Support Package for Players

ATP Announces COVID-19 Support Package for Players

General view of the grounds of The Championships Wimbledon 2013 with Centre Court The Championships Wimbledon 2013 The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club Wimbledon Day 2 Tuesday 25/06/2013 Credit: Matthias Hangst / AELTC

Wimbledon Centre Court

During these COVID-19 conditions, ATP has announced a package of measures to support players and tournaments. This package covers a range of areas including prize money at ATP 250 and ATP 500 events, and an update to the ATP Rankings system.

It also introduces a new COVID-19 Protected Ranking provision to give players further security in the current environment, and an update to the number of player support team allowances on-site at events.

There has been changes made in the prize money at the ATP 250 and 500 events. Between the Australian Open and Wimbledon, minimum prize money levels for ATP 250 and ATP 500 tournaments will be raised to 80% and 60% respectively, from 50%.

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An update in the ATP Ranking system and COVID-19 protected Ranking

The ATP has extended the ‘Best Of’ logic for the ATP Rankings through the week of 9 August 2021 (inclusive of Toronto). Results from all events between 4 March – 5 August 2019, which were not played in 2020, will be extended a further 52 weeks and weighted at 50%.

This reduction will occur at the originally designated drop date for each event and the ‘Best Of’ logic will only count the better of a player’s two scores from the same tour-level event. For example, a player will be able to count either 50% of his 2019 Madrid result, or 100% of his 2021 Madrid result, whichever is greater, for the next 52 weeks.

The decision to retain 50% of points earned in 2019 during the period corresponding to the 2020 suspension, aims to provide players a measure of security in months ahead while travel restrictions and stringent health & safety measures continue to apply.

Players who are out of competition for four consecutive weeks will be eligible for a COVID-19 Protected Ranking. This measure is designed to allow players greater flexibility in their scheduling without having a negative impact on their ability to enter future tournaments.

Eligible players will be granted four entry opportunities, excluding Grand Slams and/or the Olympic Games, using their ‘frozen’ ranking. Players will only be able to use their COVID-19 Protected Ranking for entry into as many ATP Masters 1000 events as they missed during their time away from competition.

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