Tennis is one of the most popular global sports around with an estimated 850 million fans. Of course, many of the fans love to play the game as well as watching their favorite tennis stars in action. Some will even indulge in betting on matches at top Indiana sports betting sites to make money from their love of the sport.
With professional tennis, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) are very important. They not only help look after players and organize events but also produce regularly updated rankings to let fans know who the best players are at any one time.
But just how are these rankings calculated?
How are the WTA rankings worked out?
The WTA calculate their rankings according to a 52-week cumulative calculation. A player’s overall WTA rank is worked out based on how they perform over this period at a maximum of 16 tournaments for single play (this max figure is 11 for doubles). Players are given points for how well they do in these tournaments over the 52-week cumulative period. The more points they have at any point, the higher up the rankings they will be. Some tournaments, like the Grand Slams or WTA Finals, offer higher ranking points to players due to their increased prestige.
To be eligible to appear in the WTA rankings, all players must gain ranking points in at least three events or get at least 10 singles ranking points or 10 doubles ranking points in at least one tournament. As of March 2020, Australian player Ashleigh Barty was ranked number one according to the WTA, with Simona Halep in second place.
How are the ATP rankings decided?
ATP rankings calculate who the number one male tennis player is at any one time and also help event organizers calculate the seedings for tournaments. Male players on the ATP tour are awarded points depending on how far they go in each of the eligible 19 events and how prestigious the tournament is. Naturally, the four major Grand Slams carry the most weight when calculating ATP rankings. These rankings also work on a rolling 52-week basis and are updated every Monday. As of March 2020, the number one ATP ranked player was Novak Djokovic with Rafael Nadal hot on his heels at number two.
Will we see any change to the WTA or ATP rankings?
In the course of a regular tennis season, then it would be reasonable to expect some movement in both the WTA and ATP rankings. This is not a normal year in tennis, however. The COVID-19 pandemic has shut tennis down since March 2020, and it will stay on ice until 13th July 2020 – at least. That will have a major effect on any ranking changes as no events are being played to influence them or change the number of points that players have.
Take the Grand Slam events in 2020, for example. Wimbledon has been canceled for the first time since WWII, the French Open has been tentatively moved until September 2020, and the date of the US Open is still undecided. With other ATP and WTA tournaments canceled or postponed, it could mean that there is little movement in the rankings over the coming months.
What if tennis resumes in late 2020?
Of course, if tennis does get back on track as of 13th July, then eligible ATP and WTA tournaments will happen again, and players will begin to pick up ranking points to influence the standings. At the very top of the ATP, you would have to think that Djokovic or Nadal can stay in charge. The chasing pack, such as Dominic Thiem or Daniil Medvedev, would need to have a great few months when tennis is back to catch them, while Nadal or Djokovic faltered.
In terms of the WTA, Barty does like the French Open, which could help her hang onto top spot when her Australian Open semi place is taken into account as well. Halep, however, has form at both the US and French Open, which could see her pushing hard. The rest of the WTA is fairly bunched up in terms of points, so a few good results when play is back from the likes of Belinda Bencic or Kiki Bertens could push them further up the standings.
Whatever happens with tennis concerning the coronavirus pandemic, one thing all fans hope is that it will return at some point in 2020. If this does happen, we could well see a lot of action later in the year and rankings changing as a result.
