The U.S. Open has once again transformed New York into the epicenter of the tennis world, and this year’s tournament is delivering more than just thrilling matches. With the world No. 1 ranking on the line for both men and women, all eyes are on Flushing Meadows as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner battle for supremacy on the ATP Tour, while Iga Świątek, Aryna Sabalenka, and the rising star Coco Gauff are locked in a fierce contest atop the WTA standings. The stakes? Not just a Grand Slam trophy, but the coveted distinction of being the game’s top-ranked player—a title that has never been more hotly contested.
This annual tennis spectacle isn’t just a showcase of athletic prowess; it’s a celebration of the sport’s rich tradition and its ongoing evolution. The U.S. Open, dating back to 1881 when it was first played on a grass court in Newport, Rhode Island, has grown from an elite pastime to a democratic spectacle, drawing more than 1 million fans last year and boasting an 8 percent increase in ticket sales for 2025. Star athletes like Simone Biles and Aaron Judge have joined the throngs, and the tournament’s after-party—headlined by the band Odesza—will turn Louis Armstrong Stadium into a dance floor, a far cry from the string quartets of yore.
But beneath the glitz and glamour lies a system that governs the very fabric of professional tennis: the ranking points race. The mechanics of tennis rankings can seem like a riddle even to the most devoted fans. As one might muse, “I’m kind of interested in how the rankings and the awarding of these points actually work. I’m going to try to figure it out,” only to be met with a dizzying array of numbers and rules. The reality is, understanding how a player rises—or falls—through the ranks takes more than a casual glance at the leaderboard.
Official tour rankings have been a fixture since the 1970s, with the ATP introducing its system in 1973 and the WTA following suit in 1975. Both are now calculated by computers—nicknamed “Blinky” for the men and “Medusa” for the women—and are designed to reward consistent excellence. Players earn points by winning matches and progressing through tournaments, with the four Grand Slams offering the biggest prizes: 2000 points for the champion and 1300 for the runner-up. The next tier includes ATP and WTA 1000 events, followed by 500, 250, and even 125-level tournaments on the WTA side, each with its own sliding scale of points.
What makes the system truly intricate is how those points are tallied. On the WTA Tour, a player’s best 18 results over the past 52 weeks count toward their ranking, increasing to 19 if they qualify for the Tour Finals. The ATP uses the best 19 results, or 20 for Tour Finals qualifiers. Points “drop off” 52 weeks after being earned, so defending champions face the pressure of matching last year’s success or risk a dramatic tumble down the rankings. It’s a relentless cycle that keeps even the best on their toes.
The Tour Finals, held at the end of the season, are another crucial milestone. Only the top eight singles players qualify, and an undefeated champion can earn a maximum of 1500 points—a potential game-changer in the year-end rankings. Both tours also maintain a separate “Race” leaderboard, tracking players’ points from the start of the season to determine who qualifies for the Finals. Sometimes, special provisions allow Grand Slam champions outside the top eight to sneak into the year-end showdown, provided they remain within the top 20 in the race.
Rankings aren’t just about bragging rights; they have a tangible impact on the sport. Tournament seedings are determined by these numbers, with the top 32 players getting seeded at Grand Slams and most 1000-level events. This system ensures that high-ranked stars don’t clash in the early rounds, preserving marquee matchups for the later stages and giving top performers a smoother path—at least in theory. But don’t be fooled: upsets are always lurking just around the corner.
The ranking system also accounts for life’s unpredictabilities. Both the ATP and WTA offer protected (or special) rankings for players returning from long-term injury or, in the WTA’s case, pregnancy. After an absence of six months or more, athletes can use their old ranking to enter tournaments, although they forfeit the right to be seeded. This policy helps stars like Venus Williams, who continues to inspire new generations with her resilience and skill, remain competitive on the world stage.
While the pros chase points and glory, tennis’s appeal reaches far beyond the stadium lights. The sport has experienced a renaissance in the United States, especially since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, when hitting a ball across an 80-foot court became an ideal way to exercise safely. Last year, more than 25 million Americans picked up a racket, and the game’s accessibility has never been higher. Public courts abound, and learning the basics is just a YouTube search away—Venus Williams herself offers online tutorials to help beginners master the forehand.
What sets tennis apart isn’t just its accessibility, but its profound health benefits. Tennis is a full-body aerobic workout, demanding more stamina and agility than its fast-growing rival, pickleball. The sport builds muscle, improves bone density, and elevates the heart rate. It’s also a lifetime pursuit: coaches report students ranging from 3 to 90 years old. Studies have shown that regular tennis players enjoy a longer life expectancy—nearly a decade more than sedentary peers, and even longer than swimmers, cyclers, or joggers. No wonder the United States Tennis Association proudly calls tennis “the world’s healthiest sport.”
There’s more. Tennis sharpens the mind as much as the body. The sport’s rapid-fire demands—tracking the ball’s speed, spin, and bounce, then executing a precise return—require split-second decision making and complex motor coordination. Experts like Harvard psychiatrist John Ratey compare the cognitive benefits of tennis to those of dancing, while sports medicine specialists note that the game’s high-intensity bursts resemble interval training, which is known to boost memory and attention in both children and adults.
Of course, no sport is without its risks. Common tennis injuries include sprained ankles and sore backs, but the overall injury rate is remarkably low. In fact, tennis ranks as the safest of the ten most popular high school sports, with minimal rates of catastrophic injury or concussion. For older adults, the balance and agility developed on the court can even help prevent falls at home.
Perhaps the greatest draw of tennis is the sheer joy it brings. The satisfaction of a perfectly struck volley or the addictive “pop” of a groundstroke keeps players coming back for decades. As 89-year-old Laurence Barrett attests, “I hit a few damn good volleys” and still finds motivation in the sport’s endless learning curve. For many, tennis is more than a pastime—it’s a lifelong passion that rewards persistence and playfulness in equal measure.
As the U.S. Open unfolds and the battle for the top ranking intensifies, tennis fans everywhere are reminded of the sport’s enduring magic. Whether you’re vying for the No. 1 spot or just enjoying a rally at your neighborhood court, tennis offers something for everyone: competition, community, and the promise of a healthier, happier life. The action in New York is ongoing, and with so much at stake, the world will be watching to see who rises to the occasion.
