ATP Tour
2026 season in full swing, ATP hits all-time highs
The 2025 season is highlighted by strong increases in player compensation, with 88 players earning more than $1 million on the field, a record high
January 8, 2026
ATP Tour
via press release
LONDON – The ATP enters 2026 with milestones at record highs in player compensation, commercial revenue, global reach and fan engagement.
With the season set to feature 63 events in 29 countries, culminating in the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, the tour will accelerate its OneVision overhaul to enhance quality events and strengthen the long-term future of men’s professional tennis.
The 2025 season was highlighted by strong increases in player compensation, with a record 88 players earning more than $1 million in on-field earnings, led by world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who earned $21.3 million. Meanwhile, the ATP Masters 1000 profit-sharing model has resulted in $18.3 million in prize money for 186 players, a 25% increase over the base Masters 1000 purse and marking a major shift in how success is shared across the tour.
The prize pool will grow again in 2026, with the ATP Masters 1000 and Nitto ATP Finals prize pools offering $21.5 million and the ATP 500 prize pool offering $3.07 million. Challenger Tour prize money is expected to reach a record $32.4 million by 2026, a 167% increase since 2022, underscoring the ATP’s commitment to players at all levels.
The Masters 1000 continues to launch a 96-player draw and raises the bar across all event categories, driving investment in major venues in Rome, Cincinnati, Shanghai, Paris and beyond. These upgrades have helped the ATP Tour bring a record 5.55 million in-person fans by 2025, with a global broadcast and streaming audience expected to exceed 1 billion through ATP Media.
Commercially, ATP has added five new partners and renewed six key agreements in 2025, demonstrating its confidence in its strategic direction. New brands Polaroid Eyewear, Bitpanda, Stella Artois, Verizon and Purina Pro Plan were added, while long-term partners were renewed including Emirates, Lexus, Rolex and Nitto.
Digital engagement has also grown significantly, with social channel views reaching 2.9 billion, a year-on-year increase of 30%, and ATP’s global followers growing by 13.5% year-on-year to 13.1 million. Partnerships with creators and platforms such as Overtime, TikTok and Spotify, along with ATP’s global marketing campaign “It All Adds Up,” and an updated brand identity and logo, will further inspire fan engagement in 2026.
Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, said: “2025 was a landmark year for the ATP. Player compensation, commercial revenue, fan attendance and global viewership all reached record highs, a testament to the momentum we have built with OneVision. In 2026, our focus is clear: to enhance our premium events, provide lasting value to players and tournaments, and inspire the next generation of fans around the world.”
2026 Focus: Player Welfare, Rankings, Technology
Building on this progress, the ATP will continue to develop in 2026, launching a series of reforms focusing on player welfare, rankings, technology and other aspects, including the following initiatives:
- Ranking and scheduling flexibility
In 2026, the ranking breakdown has been reduced from 19 to 18 countable events, with the ATP 500 committing to one less event to create more calendar flexibility. Additionally, results gained in the week between the Paris Masters and Nitto ATP Finals will now count towards next year’s PIF ATP Live event in Turin, providing a simplified narrative at the end of the season.
- Injury and Parental Protection
For the first time, players who miss two consecutive automatic qualifying events (Masters 1000 or a major) due to injury will be able to substitute those zero points with subsequent results (Masters 1000 only), up to three times per season. Additionally, in Masters 1000 or ATP 500 events, withdrawals related to the birth or adoption of a child will be waived and zero points will not be awarded.
- Introduction to popularity rules
ATP events are implementing new heat rules and establishing clear protocols for suspending or adjusting play in extreme conditions, reflecting the ATP’s commitment to player safety and changing climate realities.
- ATP Protection Plan
A new safeguarding program will be launched across the ATP Tour and Challenger Tour, creating a global trauma-informed framework to prevent and address abuse and misconduct.
- ATP 500 Bonus Formula
The ATP 500 event will adopt a profit-sharing model in 2026, consistent with the formula principles already established at the Masters 1000 level, an important step to further strengthen the partnership between players and events through transparency and aligned interests.
- Baseline Financial Security Plan
The Baseline program will provide more than $2 million in support in 2025 to ensure a minimum income threshold for the top 250 athletes and support younger athletes and those returning from injury, before continuing in 2026.
- Video comments extension
Video review technology has been successfully implemented at the ATP Masters 1000 event in 2025, will be used on all courts at the ATP 500 event in 2026, and will be introduced at the ATP 250 in 2027. Live electronic line calling will continue to be deployed at all ATP Tour events.
- Advances in global centralization
Following significant progress in 2025, ball centralization will advance further in 2026, with nearly all tournament swings set to be adjusted by ball manufacturers to improve playing conditions and reduce player variability.
Further innovations and reforms will be introduced throughout the season as the ATP continues to modernize the tour through its OneVision strategy.
