ATP ANNOUNCES 2017 & 2018 CALENDARS FOLLOWING RECORD-BREAKING 2015 SEASON
LONDON – The ATP has released its 2017 and 2018 calendars on the back of a record-breaking season in 2015 that attracted a global broadcast audience of 973 million viewers, a 10% growth on the previous year.
Combined with the ATP’s weekly magazine show, ATP World Tour Uncovered, which drew a viewership of 60 million, ATP events attracted in excess of 1 billion viewers globally in 2015. The 2015 season also saw an all-time on-site attendance record, with 4.5 million fans attending ATP events across the season.
The 2017 & 2018 calendar represent a continuation of the current calendar, underpinned by the nine ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events, 13 ATP World Tour 500s, and 40 ATP World Tour 250s, with all roads leading to the spectacular season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.
“Our current structure of tournaments, as well as this phenomenal generation of players, has generated a significant growth in audiences in recent years,” said Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President. “We’re delighted to have seen that trend continue in 2015, and to confirm our calendars through to 2018 as we look to ensure a period of stability and sustained growth for the Tour.”
While the cornerstones of the calendar remain the same, the ATP World Tour is set to expand into new markets, as early as 2016, reaching a total of 32 countries:
– Bulgaria (Garanti Koza Sofia Open) will host its first ever ATP World Tour tournament in February following the relocation of the tournament in Zagreb, Croatia, to Sofia.
– Mexico (Abierto Mexicano Los Cabos) will host a second ATP World Tour tournament following the relocation of the tournament in Bogota, Colombia, to Los Cabos.
– Belgium (European Open) will host an ATP World Tour event for the first time since 1998 following the relocation of the tournament in Valencia, Spain, to Antwerp.
– From 2017, a second grass court tournament will be held the week before Wimbledon, alongside Nottingham. A separate announcement relating to this tournament will follow in due course.
An updated 2016 ATP World Tour calendar, as well as the 2017 & 2018 calendars can be found here.
