There are too many": ATP boss wants to drastically reduce the number of ATP 250s

"There are too many." Andrea Gaudenzi, the ATP boss, made a strong statement when discussing his project to reform the calendar. The goal: to further reduce the number of 250 tournaments to focus world tennis around the Masters 1000s and the major competitions.

Present at the ATP Finals, ATP boss Andrea Gaudenzi held a press conference where he discussed the future of the men's tour and the changes that could be made to the calendar.

He mainly insisted on the necessary reduction, in his view, of the number of ATP 250s to have a less crowded calendar and to focus on the biggest tournaments like the Masters 1000s:

"In recent years, we have reduced the number of ATP 250s. We went from 38 to 29. The goal is to reduce it a bit further, especially with the Masters 1000 in Saudi Arabia coming in 2028. The 250s are important, just like the 500s and the Masters 1000s. But there are too many.

Our strategy has always been clear: we focus on our flagship product, which is the Masters 1000s. We need to offer the best experience to the fans and they love to see the best players compete against each other. This is something we find in the Grand Slams, the Masters 1000s, and the ATP Finals.

Our objective is to have 10 ATP 250s, 8 ATP 500s, the 10 Masters 1000s, and the 4 Grand Slams, so 32 tournaments. If you are among the best, you play the 4 Grand Slams, the 10 Masters 1000s, and maybe one or more 500s.

If your ranking is lower, you will play more 500s and 250s. Even lower, the 250s and the Challengers. If you are Alcaraz or Sinner, you don't need to play 250s for the money, because it's neither at your level nor necessary for your ranking. For that, there are the Masters 1000s.