ATP Tour

ATP builds on record year with 2026 season underway

LONDON – The ATP enters 2026 on the back of a landmark period of record growth in player compensation, commercial revenues, global reach and fan engagement.

This season will feature 63 tournaments in 29 countries, culminating in the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, as the Tour accelerates its OneVision reforms to elevate premium events and strengthen the long-term future of men’s professional tennis.

The 2025 season was highlighted by significant momentum in player compensation, with a record 88 players earning more than $1 million in on-court earnings, led by World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, who took home $21.3 million. Meanwhile the ATP Masters 1000 profit-sharing model delivered $18.3 million to 186 players - a 25 per cent uplift on base Masters 1000 prize money – marking a major shift in how success is shared across the Tour.

Bonus Pools are set to grow again in 2026, with $21.5 million available through the ATP Masters 1000 and Nitto ATP Finals Bonus Pool, and $3.07 million in the ATP 500 Bonus Pool. Challenger Tour prize money is projected to reach a record $32.4 million in 2026, up 167 per cent since 2022, underlining ATP’s commitment to players at every level of the pathway.

The continued rollout of 96-player draws at Masters 1000s and raised standards across all tournament categories have driven major venue investment in Rome, Cincinnati, Shanghai, Paris and more. In 2025 these upgrades helped deliver a record 5.55 million on-site fans across the ATP Tour, and a projected global broadcast and streaming audience of more than 1 billion delivered through ATP Media.

Commercially, ATP added five new partners and renewed six key agreements in 2025, signaling strong confidence in its strategic direction. New brands Polaroid Eyewear, Bitpanda, Stella Artois, Verizon and Purina Pro Plan joined, while long-term partners renewed, including Emirates, Lexus, Rolex and Nitto.

Digital engagement also surged, with 2.9 billion views across social channels, a 30 per cent year-on-year increase, and ATP’s global following rising 13.5 per cent year on year to 13.1 million. Collaborations with creators and platforms including Overtime, TikTok and Spotify, alongside the ATP’s global marketing campaign “It All Adds Up”, and a refreshed brand identity and logo, are set to energise fan engagement further in 2026.

Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, said: “2025 was a landmark year for the ATP. Player compensation, commercial revenues, fan attendance and global viewership are at record highs – proof of the momentum we have built through OneVision. In 2026 our focus is clear: elevate our premium events, deliver lasting value for players and tournaments, and inspire the next generation of fans worldwide.”

2026 In Focus: Player Welfare, Rankings, Technology

Building on this progress, the ATP continues to evolve in 2026, introducing a series of reforms focused on player welfare, rankings, technology and more, including the following initiatives:

• Rankings & Scheduling Flexibility
  The rankings breakdown is reduced from 19 to 18 countable events in 2026, with one less ATP 500 commitment to create more scheduling flexibility. Separately, results earned in the week between the Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals will now count toward the following year’s PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, delivering a simplified narrative towards the end of the season.

• Injury & Parental Protection
  For the first time, players who miss two consecutive automatic entry events (Masters 1000s or Grand Slams) due to injury will be able to replace those 0-point scores (Masters 1000 only) with subsequent results, up to three times per season. Separately, withdrawals related to the birth or adoption of a child will be excused without zero-pointers at Masters 1000 or ATP 500 events.

• Heat Rule Introduction
  A new Heat Rule is being implemented across ATP events, with clear protocols to suspend or adjust play in extreme conditions, reflecting ATP’s commitment to player safety and evolving climate realities.

• ATP Safeguarding Programme
  A new Safeguarding Programme will launch across the ATP Tour and Challenger Tour, creating a global, trauma-informed framework to prevent and address abuse and misconduct.

• ATP 500 Prize-Money Formula
  In a significant step toward further strengthening the partnership between players and tournaments through transparency and aligned interests, ATP 500 tournaments will adopt a profit-sharing model in 2026, aligned from the principles of the formula already established at Masters 1000 level.

• Baseline Financial-Security Programme
  The Baseline program will continue in 2026 after providing more than $2 million of support in 2025 to secure minimum-income thresholds for Top 250 players, as well as supporting younger athletes and those returning from injury.

• Video-Review Expansion
  Video review technology, successfully implemented at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in 2025, will be available on all courts at ATP 500 events in 2026, with ATP 250 introduction set for 2027. Live Electronic Line Calling will continue to be deployed across all ATP Tour events.

• Ball Centralisation Advancements
  Following major progress in 2025, ball centralisation will advance further in 2026, with almost all tournament swings aligned on ball manufacturers to enhance playing conditions and reduce variability for players.

Further innovations and reforms will be introduced throughout the season as ATP continues to modernise the Tour through its OneVision strategy.