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3 min readFeb 25, 2026 04:41 PM IST
Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, gestures during a match against Benjamin Bonzi, of France, in the first-round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in New York. (Photo: AP)
Daniil Medvedev has called for a radical rethink of the ATP ranking structure, suggesting that only Grand Slams and Masters 1000 tournaments should offer ranking points in a bid to ease the burden on players navigating tennis’ near year-long calendar.
Speaking on the demands of the tour, the former US Open Champion argued that the stripping smaller events of ranking points could naturally shorten the season and reduce the pressure on players to chase points across continents.
“That’s the only way to make the tour shorter,” Medvedev said. “It’s never going to happen because there are licenses, and the ATP won’t have enough money to buy all of them. The other tournaments won’t say, ‘OK, we’re out’ because they would lose money. It’s business. Right now with how the ATP Tour is, it’s never going to change, at least while I’m playing.”
Under current rules, top players are required to compete in the four Grand Slams and eight Masters 1000 events. From 2026 the rankings breakdown will reduce from 19 to 18 tournaments after the ATP removed one ATP 500 commitment. But Medvedev believes the structural tweak does little to address the core issue, an 11-month grind that leaves little room for rest or recovery.
“Make it four Grand Slams… 11 Masters. The others, maybe make them without points,” he added, proposing a system where smaller tournaments remain commercially viable but carry less competitive compulsion.
The debate around scheduling intensified last year when ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi defended the calendar, maintaining that participation beyond mandatory events remains a player’s choice.
Medvedev, however, countered that rankings mathematics often forces players’ hands, especially those chasing qualification for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin. Only the top eight qualify, turning even ATP 250 events into high-stakes opportunities.
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He cited Danish player Holger Rune, who ruptured his Achilles at an ATP 250 event in October. “Everybody was like, ‘Yeah, but you don’t have to play it,’ but if he wants to be in Turin, he has to, even if it’s not a mandatory tournament,” Medvedev said.
Reflecting on his own schedule, Medvedev admitted he played seven tournaments in a row in a bid to claw back ranking points after a slow start to the season. “Did I have to? No… maybe I can get 100 points here, 200 here. If there would be no points, it’s an easier decision.”
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