Guides

ATP and WTA Pro Tour Calendars Explained

September 24, 2025 Juan

The pro tennis calendar runs nearly year round. Players compete from early January to mid November with only a brief off season.

There are no home games, no away games, just constant travelling between time zones to catch the next tournament.

In this article you will learn why tennis is unique in its calendar, how the season flows, where ATP and WTA differ, and how tournament tiers fit together.

Why The Tennis Calendar Is Different

Players spend about 90% of the year on the road, moving from one hotel and airport to the next.

The constant travel means dealing with tiredness and jet lag constantly, which makes recovery and consistent performance difficult.

The season also feels never ending. Some tournaments begin before the new year even starts, while play usually runs until mid November.

The short off season lasts just 10 to 14 days. After that, players dive straight into an intense training block in December to prepare for the Australian Open.

On top of this relentless schedule, surfaces and weather change quickly across the calendar, so players have to adjust their training and equipment throughout the year.

How Does The Pro Tour Season Flow?

The year begins in January with events in Australia and New Zealand, ending with the Australian Open on hard courts.

From late February into March the action shifts to the United States, where Indian Wells and Miami form the Sunshine Double.

Spring is all about clay. In April and May, tournaments in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome lead into Roland Garros.

As soon as that finishes, the short grass season begins in June. Players often warm up at Queen’s or Halle before heading to Wimbledon in early July.

After Wimbledon, the tour moves back to hard courts in North America. Toronto and Cincinnati act as tune ups for the US Open, which runs in late August and early September.

Once the final Grand Slam is complete, the calendar heads to Asia for major events in cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo.

The season wraps up in November with the year end finals. The ATP Finals are currently in Turin while the WTA Finals are in Riyadh.

Difference Between ATP and WTA Calendars

The ATP and WTA are separate organizations but their seasons look very similar.

Both share the same four Grand Slams and the same general order of swings. Many events, such as Indian Wells and Miami, host both tours at the same time.

Some tournaments are exclusive though. For instance, the women’s tour does not play Monte Carlo. These differences usually come down to sponsorship and logistics.

Pro Tournament Categories Explained

The calendar sits on a clear ladder of events. At the top are the Grand Slams, which are run by the ITF. Below that, the tours are structured by tiers.

On the ATP side, you have Masters 1000, ATP 500 and ATP 250 events, followed by the Challenger Tour with levels ranging from 175 down to 50.

On the WTA side, the tiers are WTA 1000, WTA 500, WTA 250 and WTA 125, which acts as the bridge between ITF events and the main tour.

Alongside these official events are international competitions such as the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup and the Olympics.

There are also newer team and exhibition style events like the Laver Cup or UTS, which add variety for fans but do not count for rankings.

Conclusion

The professional tennis calendar is one of the most demanding in all of sport. It pushes players through nearly eleven months of competition across continents, surfaces and time zones.

Understanding the flow of the season helps explain why rest, preparation and equipment choices matter so much for performance.

If you want to see how ReString athletes are navigating this journey, read more about Cristina Bucsa on the WTA Tour or about Will Woodall on the ATP tour.

About the Author: Juan is the co-founder of ReString. He was born in Argentina, raised in Japan, and moved to the US to pursue college tennis. He now plays as an ATP & WTA hitting partner.