The noise regarding the hectic scheduling on the ATP Tour had been gaining a lot of traction, especially since one of its biggest stars, Carlos Alcaraz, was being the most vocal of them all. The Spaniard had no qualms about his frustrations over overextending himself on the Tour and, in recent interviews, had directly asked the ATP to step in light of several injuries to key players. Looks like the ATP chairman has heard the former World No. 1’s words and has proposed some big changes to the Tour from 2028, while also including certain provisions long lobbied for by Novak Djokovic.

In an open letter published on the ATP website, chairman Andrea Gaudenzi has outlined a comprehensive proposal to overhaul the Tour’s scheduling. The chairman’s initiatives are aimed at getting the best talent available in the ATP field to play at Grand Slams and Masters 1000 events, ensuring fan engagement.

“Players remain free to build their own schedules, and the sport’s biggest tournaments are where the strongest competition, ranking points and financial rewards come together,” said Gaudenzi in his open letter on the ATP website. “By aligning compensation, rankings and the calendar more closely, we can help players perform at their best on the biggest stages and give fans more chances to see them there.”

At a key point in the letter, Gaudenzi addresses the need for players to feel “incentivised” rather than “obligated” to play events year-round. This is in direct alignment with what Alcaraz said in a recent interview at the Laver Cup, where the seven-time Major champion candidly confessed how much playing happy meant to him.

However, the extended 12-day Masters 1000 format is the ATP measure that has frustrated many players, including Alcaraz, over the last few seasons. The letter does state the start of a tenth Masters 1000 event in Saudi Arabia in the 2028 calendar, and it remains to be seen how that news is received by the players. The ATP will aim to ensure that the Tour sees its biggest stars at the biggest events, especially after a year in which the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner missed much of the tennis action, with both even skipping Grand Slams due to injury.

In terms of incentives, Gaudenzi has targeted two key areas, one of which is the existing ranking points system. In his proposals, the Chairman has suggested giving greater weight to ranking points at the biggest events, including the Grand Slams and the Masters 1000 events. Putting on more points, especially during the early rounds of big events, will help players manage their schedules better, as they won’t feel the need to play consecutive weeks after an early-round exit.

The other incentive proposed by Gaudenzi is to provide more financial assistance to lower-ranked players. The difference in earnings between a higher- and lower-ranked player in tennis is quite stark. Someone like Alcaraz has netted over $5 million in prize money this season, despite being out of action for four and a half months on the Tour, whereas the World No. 100, Toby Samuel, has played over 60 matches this season in the Challenger and the main Tour combined, and won just over $500,000 in prize money.

This is where the new proposal to expand the ATP bonus pool to $50 million and start a new $25 million bonus pool for the top 250 players will come in handy. The extra financial support, along with the ATP’s initiative to increase Tour-wide player compensation to about $350 million, will give lower-ranked players the freedom to play fewer events and focus on maximizing results at the bigger events.

Open letters from Gaudenzi are nothing new, as the ATP boss did the same when he assumed the role in 2020. On that occasion, his letter included the proposals for the ATP minimum baseline pay, a 50-50 profit split, and the 12-day format for the Masters. While the first two initiatives have been a reasonable success with players over the last few years, the Masters’ scheduling still needs to be reviewed by the ATP.

The new letter also discussed a $30 million pension fund that would support players during retirement or as they transition to other careers, a benefit that has long been advocated by the likes of Novak Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic Has Talked About More Support for Lower-Ranked Players

Over the years, Djokovic has been one of the most outspoken critics of the disparity between higher- and lower-ranked players’ earnings. The Serb has pointed out the benefits that lower-ranked players are often denied, such as access to a coach or physio, due to a lack of extra financial means at their disposal.

“The top of the game is doing well, of course,” said Djokovic at a press conference while playing the Dubai Tennis Championships in 2023. “Can’t complain for myself. But I’m speaking on behalf of all the lower-ranked players who struggle to make a living. I think this is the main goal .”

Money and scheduling go hand in hand, as higher-paid players have the flexibility to choose not to play lower-level ATP 500 or ATP 250 events on a weekly basis. While Gaudenzi’s letter has discussed changes, implementing them in line with the players’ will will be a challenge for the ATP.