Major Tennis Tournaments and ATP Tour Events

Tennis tournaments range from the four Grand Slams to professional tour events and international team competitions. Their formats, ranking points and prestige differ, while results across the professional tours shape players’ world rankings and season-long standings.

Grand Slam Tournaments

The four Grand Slams are the sport’s highest-profile annual tournaments. Each has a 128-player singles main draw. Men’s singles matches are played as best-of-five sets; women’s singles and doubles matches are best-of-three.

• Australian Open: Held in Melbourne in January on hard courts, it is the first Grand Slam of the season.
• French Open (Roland Garros): Played in Paris from late May to early June, it is the only Grand Slam on red clay. The surface is slow and produces high bounces.
• Wimbledon Championships: Held in London in late June and early July, Wimbledon dates to 1877 and is the only Grand Slam played on grass.
• US Open: The final Grand Slam of the year, it is held in New York in late August and early September on hard courts.

ATP and WTA Tour Structure

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) governs the men’s professional tour, while the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) governs the women’s tour. Events are grouped into tiers that offer different ranking points and prize money. A player’s results contribute to their standing in the relevant world rankings.

• ATP Finals and WTA Finals: These season-ending championships feature the top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams, based on performance over the year.
• ATP Masters 1000: The men’s tour has nine mandatory Masters 1000 events, each awarding 1,000 ranking points to the singles champion. These are the leading ATP events below the Grand Slams.
• WTA 1000: This is the women’s tour’s top regular-event tier below the Grand Slams, offering substantial ranking points and prize money.
• ATP 500 and WTA 500: Champions receive 500 ranking points. The ATP 500 tier was formally introduced in 2009. The China Open in Beijing is an ATP 500 event.
• ATP 250 and WTA 250: These main-tour events award 250 points to the champion and form a broad base of the professional circuits.
• Developmental tours: The ATP Challenger Tour and ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour provide pathways for players to gain ranking points and professional experience below the main tours.

International Team Competitions

Team competitions add a national dimension to tennis. They bring players together to represent their countries, complementing the individual focus of most tour events.

• Davis Cup: Established in 1900 and organised by the ITF, it is the premier international men’s team competition. Nations compete in ties within a knockout format.
• Billie Jean King Cup: Formerly the Fed Cup, it is the premier international women’s team competition and is also organised by the ITF. It was renamed in 2020 to honour Billie Jean King.
• United Cup: This mixed-gender team tournament features ATP and WTA players and is typically held at the start of the season. Its matches include singles and mixed doubles.
• Olympic Games: Tennis returned as a full medal sport at the Summer Olympics in 1988, giving players the opportunity to compete for their national Olympic committees.

Governing Bodies and Rankings

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the sport’s global governing body. It is responsible for the rules of tennis and the game’s global development, and organises the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. The Grand Slams are played under the sport’s international rules. The ATP administers the men’s professional circuit, including events from Masters 1000 to ATP 250, the ATP Rankings and the ATP Finals. The WTA administers the women’s tour, its rankings and the WTA Finals. These bodies’ tours use tiered events and ranking points to distinguish tournament levels and measure players’ results.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• Grand Slams: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.
• Surfaces: Wimbledon is played on grass; the French Open is played on red clay.
• Grand Slam format: Men’s singles is best-of-five sets; women’s singles is best-of-three.
• ATP 500: The category began in 2009; the China Open is one such event.
• Team events: The ITF-organised Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup are the premier men’s and women’s international team competitions.
• Tour-level titles: Jimmy Connors holds the Open Era record with 109; Roger Federer won 103.

Recent Context

On 6 October 2026, Novak Djokovic won the China Open in Beijing for his 102nd tour-level title and first ATP Tour title of the season, ending an 11-month drought. Alex de Minaur retired in the second set, with Djokovic leading 7-6(3), 0-1. Aged 39, Djokovic became the oldest ATP 500 champion and extended his China Open record to 34-0.