ATP proposes rankings overhaul, $350m player package and new calendar structure from 2028

ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi on Thursday, 15 October, published an open letter setting out a reform package for the men's tour from 2028, built around a reweighted ranking system, a reorganised calendar and a large rise in player compensation. The ATP estimates total player pay outside the Grand Slams at about $350 million a year from 2028, but every element is still a proposal, "subject to further consultation and approval".

The plan lands at the end of a season in which the physical toll of the 11-month calendar has been a constant theme. Associated Press linked the proposals to a year disrupted by injuries to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

What the ATP has confirmed in writing

The letter on atptour.com is the only official document so far, and it is specific on money. The ATP's central investment in player compensation and support would exceed $100 million a year from 2028, on top of on-site prize money and tournament profit-sharing. Within that:

• Bonus pool: up from $21.5 million to $50 million, rewarding players who commit to the biggest events.
• Top-250 support: a new $25 million year-end payment for players finishing inside the Top 250 of the ATP rankings.
• Pensions: about $30 million a year to improve retirement benefits for 300 players annually.

On the calendar, the letter promises dedicated weeks for each tournament category, so that tiers no longer overlap, while stressing that players remain free to build their own schedules. It also refers to "the previously announced addition" of a 10th Masters 1000 event in Saudi Arabia as part of that structure.

The rankings change

The letter says results at the biggest events should carry more weight across the season, while reducing the incentive for players "to overplay after a disappointing result". It gives no new point values.

AP and ESPN reported the most concrete detail: the current rule that lets players replace three weaker Masters 1000 results with better ATP 500 or 250 results later in the year would be eliminated, so Masters results count in full. Gaudenzi told AP the goal is to "reduce the pressure to overplay and help players manage the demands of the season". For a refresher on how points are built today, see our rankings explainer and our guide to tournament categories.

Doubles: the contested part

The ATP will also review competition formats, including possible changes to doubles draws. The letter says any prize money moved away from doubles would stay within player compensation, mainly for singles qualifying and early-round prize money. Reuters and AP both noted that doubles players reacted angrily earlier this year to reports that draw sizes would be cut, so this is the area most likely to draw opposition.

What is reported, not confirmed

Some coverage has gone further than the letter, describing a fixed number of weeks for each category or fewer ATP 250 events. The ATP has not published a 2028 calendar, a list of affected tournaments or new ranking point tables, and none of those details should be treated as settled until they appear in an official document.

Timeline and what comes next

Gaudenzi wrote that the proposals will be developed with the Player Advisory Council, the Tournament Advisory Council and the ATP Board, with wider consultation of the membership. The aim is to bring "a final package forward for consideration" at the year-end meetings in Turin, held alongside the ATP Finals in November.

What it means: the money is the headline, but the ranking change may matter more week to week. If Masters results can no longer be swapped out, the incentive to add late-season 250s after an early loss largely disappears, which is the scheduling pressure many players have complained about. Whether the package survives the Turin meetings intact, and how doubles players respond, will decide how much of it reaches 2028.