Tennis has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic for much longer than anyone could have predicted. Following the significantly shortened 2020 season, cancellations of tournaments are unfortunately continuing into 2021. The WTA has now made some adjustments to the ranking system to adapt it to the current situation and make a foundation for a hopefully seamless transition to the traditional 52-week ranking system.
To be honest, the adjustments are so complicated that I can’t absolutely wrap my head around them. The WTA made four main points:
- Return to the traditional 52-week ranking system in the fairest possible way
- Whenever possible, WTA points should be on a player’s ranking for a minimum 52 weeks and not exceed 104 weeks
- Players should have the opportunity to defend points that are dropping
- When WTA ranking points drop, they will drop at 100%
The changes will take affect on April 5, after the completion of the Miami Open.