The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) is the governing body of men’s tennis in the world. The organisation conducts several tournaments across the world in which players participate to improve their rankings. The players also take part in these tournaments to prepare well for other challenges.
The biggest tournaments organised by the ATP are the four Grand Slams – Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. Apart from these four major tournaments, the ATP also organises several other tournaments that players participate in on a regular basis.
Some of these tournaments are the ATP Finals, ATP Masters 1000, ATP 500, ATP 250, and ATP Challengers. These tournaments form the tiers of professional tennis and segregate lower-ranked players from their higher-ranked peers. It goes without saying that only those who are ranked high can participate in big tournaments.
The ATP Finals, for example, feature the top eight singles and top eight doubles players in the world. The ATP Masters 1000, meanwhile, is open only to top-ranked players.
The winners of the ATP Masters 1000 are allotted 1000 points. Similarly, the winners of the ATP 500 and 250 are rewarded with 500 and 250 points, respectively.
In this piece, we take a look at the few ways in which a player can climb the ladder of ATP rankings.
#1 Gaining More Points
One of the biggest ways in which players can climb the ladder is by gaining more points. This can be done if they keep participating and doing well in tournaments on a regular basis.
If the players manage to win more games, they are bound to accrue more points. This will help their standing in the ATP rankings and, in turn, allow them to climb the ladder.
Getting more points on a consistent basis helps players enter into higher-ranked tournaments, which, in turn, helps them take a shot at more prize money as well.
#2 Winning Consistently
Similar to the point mentioned above, another major way in which players can climb the ATP rankings is by winning games consistently. Since most tournaments feature a knockout format, players have to win all the games they play to make it to the final.
Winning the final is bound to give them a shot at the prize money they have aimed for as well as points. The players have to maintain their form and consistency over a period of time to climb the rankings.
Also Read | How are ATP Rankings Calculated?
#3 Performing Well in Grand Slams
A big way in which lower-ranked players can climb the rankings is by doing well in the four major tournaments, that is, the Grand Slams.
Those who are not very highly ranked and do not get seeded can try to create upsets by beating more established and highly ranked players. This is bound to improve their standing in the ATP Rankings and also give them a shot in the arm when it comes to climbing the ladder.
The Grand Slams are the biggest tournaments in the tennis calendar, and quite naturally, a lot of emphasis is put upon players doing well there. Those who can upset the cart and beat more established players will gain more points, and in turn, help their case in the rankings.
#4 Preparing Well Off the Court
Players have to prepare well off the court to ensure that they are fit and ready for the challenges that they have to face.
Recovering from the strain they go through on an everyday basis is crucial, and players have to make sure that they sleep well and eat well to be fully recharged for the challenges coming their way.
If they have recovered well, they are bound to perform better. This will, in turn, help them increase their chances of gaining more points and improving their rankings.
Read Next | What is a Surface Slam? – Explained