In every sport, there has to be an official set of rules and regulations that must be implemented to provide a fair and organized flow of the game. In tennis, 3 major organizations govern all tennis rules and regulations: ITF, ATP, and WTA.
The main difference between the ATP and WTA is that the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) regulates men’s matches, while the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) regulates women’s matches. Each organization is independent but collaborates closely with the ITF (International Tennis Federation).
Even though the rules and regulations are the same for ATP and WTA, they also have some notable differences. Here are the 9 differences between ATP and WTA:
Table of Contents
1. History of ATP and WTA
In 1968, there was a major shift in tennis with the introduction of the Open Era. The Open Era made it possible for professionals to attend tournaments.
Professional tournaments became the official ones we see today, where players can make a living out of the prize money from tournaments.
During the Open Era, the ATP was formed in 1972 to provide fair ranking systems for all tennis players.
The ATP stands for the Association of Tennis Professionals. Their first goal was to decide on a way to rank players to keep them interested and motivated to attend tournaments.
These ranking systems also allow players to enter certain tournaments and influence their seedings.
A year after the formation of ATP, The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) was formed in 1973 by Billie Jean King and her peers.
The WTA was created as they wanted women’s tennis tournaments to be independent and separated from men. The WTA’s ranking system was then introduced in 1974.
In 1990, the ATP and WTA created the ATP and WTA tours, respectively.
Learn more about the history of tennis here.
2. ATP vs WTA Tournaments
ATP Tournaments
There are 5 main ATP tournaments: ATP Tour Finals, ATP Tour Masters 1000, ATP Tour 500, ATP Tour 250 and ATP Cup. These 5 are considered the first tournament tier and the highest level ones.
The higher the tournament level, the more points are awarded to calculate the rankings. The ATP Masters 1000 tournaments are the highest level in the ATP calendar and offer the most ranking points.
Below these levels, there are also the second ATP tournament tiers, which include ATP Challenger Tour 125, ATP Challenger Tour Finals, and ATP Champions Tour (for seniors).
WTA Tournaments
There are 4 main events for WTA Tournaments: WTA Finals, WTA 1000, WTA 500, and WTA 25.
Aside from these, the WTA also hosts premier tournaments, which include Premier Mandatory 1000, Premier 5 900, Premier 470, and WTA 125k Series.
Like the ATP, more points are awarded the higher the tournament level.
The 1000-Level Tournaments
The 1000-level tournaments, the ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 are the most prestigious tennis tours (after the Grand Slams).
The ATP hosts 9 tournaments in its 1000 series, while the WTA hosts 10. Both tours are played in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Italy, Canada, and Cincinnati.
The ATP Masters 1000 plays an additional 3 tournaments in Monte Carlo, Shanghai, and Paris. The WTA 1000 plays 4 additional tournaments in Wuhan, Beijing, Guadalajara, and Dubai/Qatar.
3. ATP vs WTA Finals
The ATP Finals is called the ATP Nitto Finals, where the top eight singles players and doubles teams of ATP rankings are qualified to play.
Only these top players will get enrolled with the ATP ranking the day after the final tournament of the Rolex Paris Masters.
The WTA players compete throughout the year in over 53 WTA tournaments worldwide, including the four Grand Slams. After these tournaments end, the top eight players will qualify for the WTA finals.
4. Players Ranking System
Both ATP and WTA generally have similar ranking systems, but there are small differences in how they rank their players.
For example, the ATP calculates their player’s rankings from the past 19 matches. In contrast, the WTA has two ratings (single and pair), where the single rating uses the past 16 tournament results and 11 past tournaments for pair ratings.
Both ratings are calculated based on the results of the previous 52 weeks. The player who gets the biggest amount of scores by the end of a season becomes the world’s ranked 1 ATP/WTA tennis player.
Every player will receive a number of points based on their performance in the tournaments, which will be factored into the ranking placement.
For example, the winners of the Grand Slam tournaments receive 2000 points towards their ATP/WTA ranking.
Some tournaments award the points differently depending on the player’s end placement. The points are also awarded differently in ATP and WTA.
For example, the ATP Grand Slam Runner-Up is awarded 1200 points, while the WTA Grand Slam Runner-Up is awarded 1300 points.
Then, the ATP Grand Slam Semi-Finalist is awarded 720 points, while the WTA Grand Slam Semi-Finalist is awarded 780 points.
This point difference continues down the placement, and also for other ATP and WTA tournaments.
5. Prize Money
ATP events generally offer higher prize money than the WTA, but the gap is slowly decreasing throughout the years. In Grand Slams, the prize money for both men and women is the same.
The prize money differs for each tournament, but let’s compare the total prize money given to the top 5 ATP & WTA ranked players in 2023.
ATP Prize Money
Here is the Top 5 ATP Ranking Money Leaders (YTD until Oct 2023):
| ATP Rank | Player | Prize Money (YTD) |
| 1 | Novak Djokovic | $10,590,175 |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | $9,603,879 |
| 3 | Daniil Medvedev | $7,833,244 |
| 4 | Jannik Sinner | $5,189,328 |
| 5 | Andrey Rublev | $4,731,576 |
WTA Prize Money
Here is the Top 5 WTA Ranking Money Leaders (YTD until Oct 2023):
| WTA Rank | Player | Prize Money (YTD) |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | $7,547,703 |
| 2 | Iga Swiatek | $6,779,686 |
| 3 | Coco Gauff | $5,305,882 |
| 4 | Elena Rybakina | $5,033,334 |
| 5 | Jessica Pegula | $3,598,095 |
The average prize money earned for the top 5 ATP rank players is $7,589,640. The average prize money earned for the top 5 WTA rank players is $5,652,940.
Using the data of the top 5 players, we can see that WTA prize money is about 25.5% lower than ATP players on average.
6. Partners & Sponsorships
The sponsorships for both ATP and WTA also differ. For example, Emirates is ATP’s premium partner, while Hologic and Porsche are WTA’s premium sponsorships.
ATP Sponsors
| Company | Industry |
| Emirates | Airline |
| Pepperstone | Financial services – online trading |
| Lexus | Automotive |
| Infosys | Information Technology |
| Nitto | Chemicals |
| Waterdrop | Beverage |
| Haier | Home Appliances |
| Dunlop | Sporting Goods |
| Lacoste | Retail |
| Asti Docg | Beverages (alcohol) |
| Therabody | Wellness Technology |
| Tennis-Point | E-commerce |
| Ponte Vedra Inn & Club | Sports Club |
WTA Sponsors
| Company | Industry |
| Hologic | Health – Medical Technology |
| Porsche | Automotive |
| Morgan Stanley | Financial Services |
| SAP | Information Technology |
| Whoop | Wearable Technology |
| Modern Health | Mental Health Platform |
| Corpay | Financial Services |
| Tennis Warehouse | E-commerce |
| USANA | Nutritional Products |
| Topcourt | Online Education |
| Fanduel | Gaming |
7. Tennis Balls
Both ATP and WTA play the same ball size and characteristics.
The difference is that the ATP Tour uses an extra-duty felt ball, while WTA uses a regular duty felt ball.
The extra duty felt ball slows down the ball and increases the length of ATP matches, reinforcing the use of more strategic plays.
The regular duty felt ball tends to speed up the pace of WTA matches, resulting in more use of aggressive shots.
The quality and brand of the tennis balls also vary depending on the tournaments and sponsors.
8. Number of Players in ATP vs. WTA
As recorded on the official website, the player rankings of the ATP are more than the WTA. This means that there are more tennis men professionals than women professionals.
As of the current date, the ATP has 2071 total player rankings (singles), while the WTA has 1367 total player rankings (singles).
9. Number of Sets Played in Grand Slams
Grand Slams are the most prestigious tournaments in the tennis world, and they consist of 4 major championships: Australian Open, French Open, U.S. Open and Wimbledon.
Grand Slams are organized by the ITF (International Tennis Federation), which collaborated with ATP and WTA. So, Grand Slams men’s matches are also organized by ATP, and WTA for women’s matches.
Besides Grand Slams, The ATP and WTA also collaborate with the ITF to regulate the Davis Cup and the Olympics.
Male tennis matches in all Grand Slam tournaments are played in best-of-five sets, while all female tennis matches are played in best-of-three sets.
This, however, was not always the case in the past, as best-of-fives were also played in women’s matches from 1984 to 1998. It got reverted back to a best-of-three from then on.
There has been a debate about whether best-of-five or best-of-three is better for men’s matches.
Some people believe that best-of-three is preferred as it benefits the player’s longevity and health. Despite that, the male Grand Slam matches are still played in best-of-fives.
Outside the 4 grand slams, men and women play best-of-three sets in all other professional tennis tournaments.
Learn more about how many sets are played in tennis here.
Wrapping Up
Both the ATP and WTA have played a crucial role in the growth and popularity of tennis worldwide.
Together with ITF, they organize the scoring system, court dimensions, equipment, terms, specifications, and all the rules of tennis.
The rules and regulations set by the ATP and WTA ensure that the game is played fairly and safely for all tennis players in the world.
To date, they also keep updating and improving the rules and regulations to provide the best tennis experience for players and fans.
