The ITF finally folded today and agreed to scrap these disastrous ranking rules. They tried to break the system for the players at the bottom but we refused to back down until they listened. Stay sharp because we are watching to make sure they actually follow through on these changes.
March 24, 2019
Final supporters
Dear Players,
At the beginning of 2019 the ITF implemented new rules. The main change was creating two ranking systems. $15,000 tournaments would reward ITF points towards an ITF ranking and $25,000 and above would reward points towards the WTA/ATP ranking. In the $25,000 events there are 5 places reserved for the top ITF players, which currently need to be ranked inside the top 30 ITF. The draws for both men and women at every tournament has been reduced to a 24 qualifying draw. Therefore, with 5 spaces for the top ITF in main draw and the reduced qualifying draw the average cut off for qualifying at a $25,000 is around 450 WTA.
To keep to the point there has been a massively negative response from players on social media because players cannot get into tournaments.
- Players ranked 450 or less cannot get into $25,000, forced to play $15,000 and push the lower ranked players out
- Those players starting out or even ranked 1,000 ITF cannot get into $15,000
- Those ranked outside top 30 ITF cannot get into $25,000 and stuck playing $15,000
Players from the both men’s and women’s game have joined together to write a letter to the ITF. We have over 600 signature for active, current players for the letter and a petition with over 8,750 signatures.
What is in the letter?
We are summarising all the problems faced with the new rules and asking for amendments. At the end of the day the new rules are reducing participation when it should be focussing on nurturing players and encouraging players to compete.
The letter’s main points-
1. To have one uniform ranking system (all on the same WTA or ATP list)
2. Increase qualifying draw sizes. (More opportunity to compete and not only practice)
3. Play one singles match a day in qualification (not two in one day like many tournaments-
- Return to a normal full third set and not a tie break, which is a lottery
5. Protect doubles players’ careers by allowing them to only enter doubles and use doubles rankings to enter doubles draws
- Players now have to be entered in singles at $15,000 to be allowed to compete in doubles
- Players can use their singles rankings to be accepted into doubles
6. cut off ITF authorisation code which is if u r in same week accepted into ITF/WTA if u decide to play WTA u need to pay 500-1000$ to ITF
7. Get a restriction on hotel rates and do not allow tournaments to prevent access to practice courts if at affordable accommodation and not official hotel
We know this does not necessarily directly affect the top 250 players but these new rules are ruining tennis. The ITF, WTA and ATP should be looking at ways to expand participation and competition but instead it is discouraging players from continuing, or even beginning their dreams to compete on the professional circuit.
We are reaching out to you because you are the top players and ambassadors for our sport. Your voices will be heard more than ours and we need your help. We would appreciate any support or ideas you offer.
If you would like to be apart of helping the cause “Players vs ITF” we would like your permission to sign your name with our letter to embark on changing the rules back.
Kind regards,
Ana Vrljic
Updates
February 26, 2019
The ITF bureaucrats are finally starting to notice the 250 signatures piling up against their garbage rankings system. They want us to stay quiet while they destroy careers but this is just the beginning of the fight.
Reached 250 supporters
February 24, 2019
Reached 100 supporters
February 11, 2019
47 Comments
Especially Doubles player may not participate some of the challengers and mostly all challengers doubles draws will be remain to the singles players !!!! Why do ITF want miss out doubles players on tour ? You should give more valuable to the players , not ignore us Thank you Regards
Singles rank 450, doubles 10. I don't agree with many of the new rules, especially singles entry for doubles, reducing draw sizes, 2 qualifying matches in 1 day, changing the scoring format, official hotels overpricing rooms and forcing players to stay there, as well as no opportunities for players that have been injured and lost their ranking, juniors outside the top 100, and players coming out of college.
We sponsor a touring Pro with an end I'd year ranking around 600. He now is on the alternate list for qualification for 25K events. How players are expected to progress and make a living is beyond me. Ultimately they will have to give up and will leave the game.
Currently ranked 40 in transition tour, i got into a few 25k main draw but now i need to defend my ITF ranking which forces me to travel and play 15k, while I cannot defend my WTA ranking, whats the point of playing like this ?
It is not helping tennis to grow if you reduce the number of players in fact everything will go backwards. Maybe to a business person this makes sense as it reduces expenses in some ways, but people, don’t forget that lot of our today’s champions started small and had a 0 ranking at some point. So by downsizing qualies draws you might be killing a future star.
This rule is very discouraging and unrealistic
There is too much money taken out of the game by the elite players. The future is at the lower levels of the game with young players coming through a fair and affordable system.
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The ITF finally folded today and agreed to scrap these disastrous ranking rules. They tried to break the system for the players at the bottom but we refused to back down until they listened. Stay sharp because we are watching to make sure they actually follow through on these changes.
March 24, 2019
Final supporters
Dear Players,
At the beginning of 2019 the ITF implemented new rules. The main change was creating two ranking systems. $15,000 tournaments would reward ITF points towards an ITF ranking and $25,000 and above would reward points towards the WTA/ATP ranking. In the $25,000 events there are 5 places reserved for the top ITF players, which currently need to be ranked inside the top 30 ITF. The draws for both men and women at every tournament has been reduced to a 24 qualifying draw. Therefore, with 5 spaces for the top ITF in main draw and the reduced qualifying draw the average cut off for qualifying at a $25,000 is around 450 WTA.
To keep to the point there has been a massively negative response from players on social media because players cannot get into tournaments.
- Players ranked 450 or less cannot get into $25,000, forced to play $15,000 and push the lower ranked players out
- Those players starting out or even ranked 1,000 ITF cannot get into $15,000
- Those ranked outside top 30 ITF cannot get into $25,000 and stuck playing $15,000
Players from the both men’s and women’s game have joined together to write a letter to the ITF. We have over 600 signature for active, current players for the letter and a petition with over 8,750 signatures.
What is in the letter?
We are summarising all the problems faced with the new rules and asking for amendments. At the end of the day the new rules are reducing participation when it should be focussing on nurturing players and encouraging players to compete.
The letter’s main points-
1. To have one uniform ranking system (all on the same WTA or ATP list)
2. Increase qualifying draw sizes. (More opportunity to compete and not only practice)
3. Play one singles match a day in qualification (not two in one day like many tournaments-
- Return to a normal full third set and not a tie break, which is a lottery
5. Protect doubles players’ careers by allowing them to only enter doubles and use doubles rankings to enter doubles draws
- Players now have to be entered in singles at $15,000 to be allowed to compete in doubles
- Players can use their singles rankings to be accepted into doubles
6. cut off ITF authorisation code which is if u r in same week accepted into ITF/WTA if u decide to play WTA u need to pay 500-1000$ to ITF
7. Get a restriction on hotel rates and do not allow tournaments to prevent access to practice courts if at affordable accommodation and not official hotel
We know this does not necessarily directly affect the top 250 players but these new rules are ruining tennis. The ITF, WTA and ATP should be looking at ways to expand participation and competition but instead it is discouraging players from continuing, or even beginning their dreams to compete on the professional circuit.
We are reaching out to you because you are the top players and ambassadors for our sport. Your voices will be heard more than ours and we need your help. We would appreciate any support or ideas you offer.
If you would like to be apart of helping the cause “Players vs ITF” we would like your permission to sign your name with our letter to embark on changing the rules back.
Kind regards,
Ana Vrljic
Updates
February 26, 2019
The ITF bureaucrats are finally starting to notice the 250 signatures piling up against their garbage rankings system. They want us to stay quiet while they destroy careers but this is just the beginning of the fight.
Reached 250 supporters
February 24, 2019
Reached 100 supporters
February 11, 2019
47 Comments
Iam against this new format. Its a shame,that ITF has made all this changes in this way against the players. And ITF, please dont tell us that no one knew its gonna happen this way... Everyone knew and you have been warned. Shame on you for killing our sport and taking away chances from crazy ammount alot of players to play professional tennis especially from smaller countries with weaker financial background.
Especially Doubles player may not participate some of the challengers and mostly all challengers doubles draws will be remain to the singles players !!!! Why do ITF want miss out doubles players on tour ? You should give more valuable to the players , not ignore us Thank you Regards
Singles rank 450, doubles 10. I don't agree with many of the new rules, especially singles entry for doubles, reducing draw sizes, 2 qualifying matches in 1 day, changing the scoring format, official hotels overpricing rooms and forcing players to stay there, as well as no opportunities for players that have been injured and lost their ranking, juniors outside the top 100, and players coming out of college.
We sponsor a touring Pro with an end I'd year ranking around 600. He now is on the alternate list for qualification for 25K events. How players are expected to progress and make a living is beyond me. Ultimately they will have to give up and will leave the game.
Currently ranked 40 in transition tour, i got into a few 25k main draw but now i need to defend my ITF ranking which forces me to travel and play 15k, while I cannot defend my WTA ranking, whats the point of playing like this ?
It is not helping tennis to grow if you reduce the number of players in fact everything will go backwards. Maybe to a business person this makes sense as it reduces expenses in some ways, but people, don’t forget that lot of our today’s champions started small and had a 0 ranking at some point. So by downsizing qualies draws you might be killing a future star.
This rule is very discouraging and unrealistic
There is too much money taken out of the game by the elite players. The future is at the lower levels of the game with young players coming through a fair and affordable system.
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Iam against this new format. Its a shame,that ITF has made all this changes in this way against the players. And ITF, please dont tell us that no one knew its gonna happen this way... Everyone knew and you have been warned. Shame on you for killing our sport and taking away chances from crazy ammount alot of players to play professional tennis especially from smaller countries with weaker financial background.