Daniil Medvedev Suggests Major ‘Mind-Blowing’ Changes that Will Reduce the Number of Events on Tour

Daniil Medvedev is into the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International after beating Stan Wawrinka.

Daniil Medvedev Suggests Major ‘Mind-Blowing’ Changes that Will Reduce the Number of Events on Tour

Daniil Medvedev and Ugo Humbert (via Punto de Break)

In Short
  • Daniil Medvedev calls for changes to the ATP ranking system to reduce mandatory tournaments for players.
  • He suggests making Grand Slams and Masters events the only tournaments with ranking points, eliminating points for ATP 500 and 250 events.
  • Medvedev emphasizes that players face challenges that spectators often do not understand, impacting their performance on tour.

Daniil Medvedev believes it is high time the ATP makes a major change to its points ranking system, which would reduce the number of mandatory tournaments for players. The former World No.1 is currently competing at the Dubai Tennis Championships, where he’s seeking his second title of the season.

The hectic tour schedule has always been a major debate every season. However, each event is tied to points that make players climb the rankings. The ATP uses a rolling 52-week, cumulative system for the current rankings, and it includes the results of players’ best 18 events, while for those who compete in the ATP Finals, it is the best 19 tournaments.

That means each player is meant to play at least 18 tournaments in a season. The tournaments include a mandatory four Grand Slams, eight automatic-entry ATP Masters 1000 events, and six other tournaments, comprising the Monte Carlo Masters, ATP 500 events, ATP 250 tournaments, and the United Cup.

In the men’s circuit, a sliding scale points system is used to give players ranking points on tour. For Grand Slam winners, 2,000 points are handed to them, while an ATP Masters champion gets 1,000 points, then an ATP 500 trophy gets you 500 points and an ATP 250 title is worth only 250 points.

The last major change to the rankings system was in 2009. Since then, players have become accustomed to the system. Nonetheless, during Medvedev’s press conference in Dubai, he pointed out that making Grand Slam and Masters tournament to have points on tour, while ATP 500 and 250 events do not have points, is the best way to reduce the schedule for players:

I would think the players would agree, from what I’m hearing, to making… even more mandatory tournaments. I would say make four Grand Slams, I don’t know, 11 Masters, and that’s it. The other tournaments [ATP 500- and ATP 250-level events], maybe make them without points or something. What happens is last year, Holger got injured in Stockholm, 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.

Last year, ahead of the ATP Finals, Medvedev, Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune, and Lorenzo Musetti were forced to play in consecutive tournaments to earn a place in the top 8 of the Live Race to Turin. That led to Rune sustaining a serious injury at the Stockholm Open, an ATP 250 event in October.

Daniil Medvedev says spectators and supporters don’t understand what players go through on tour

Daniil Medvedev has been one of the few players on tour who have experienced a full range of emotions on the court. From winning the US Open in 2021 to struggling with injuries and inconsistent form, he has forced him to languish outside of the top 10 for the past seven months on tour.

Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev (Image via X/Daniil Medvedev)

However, Medvedev is seeking to return to the elite group and has backed it with a Brisbane International triumph and an Australian Open fourth-round finish. During the aforementioned press conference, the 30-year-old revealed that people do not understand what players go through on and off the court:

I think that’s what people don’t exactly understand about tennis, and that is why sometimes upset happen. Like you can come somewhere, you never going to tell it to someone, but you got food poisoning, which is not that big to retire, but big enough to make you in a bad shape. You’re going to lose a match. Everyone is going to be like, What the hell? You are just food poisoning.

Medvedev is into the quarter-finals of the ongoing Dubai Tennis Championships. He defeated three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3 in the round of 16. The Russian star will hope to win the ATP 500 title as the third seed.

Also Read: Alexander Zverev Reflects on His Missed Chances Against Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open