As the calendar flips to 2019, it signals a new era for players fighting to make their mark in professional tennis. The landscape is set for a significant transformation, with wholesale changes being implemented.

Not only are players poised to benefit from a more defined pathway from the bottom up, but also increased prize money across all levels. The new structure is designed to encourage a more efficient and streamlined progression from one stage to the next, with a larger number of players earning a greater amount of prize money.

Those competing at both the ATP 500 and ATP Masters 1000 levels will see a significantly greater prize money distribution in qualifying and the early rounds. This allocates more of the overall pot to the lower-ranked players, with an average increase of more than 80 per cent to those competing in qualifying at that level.

The financial benefits extend to the ATP Challenger Tour as well, improving the viability of fostering a professional career at the lower levels. In addition to overhauled prize money, players will incur less expenses with all Challengers providing hospitality to all main-draw players. As part of the enhancements, the ATP will provide travel grants for singles players ranked between No. 150-300 and for doubles players ranked between No. 75-150.

The revamped ATP Challenger Tour serves as a critical stage in the progression to the upper echelons of the sport. The changes also establish a clear progression path for all players by providing adequate stepping at each stage of a player’s development. After competing in the ITF Juniors circuit, players will test their abilities on the newly formed ITF World Tennis Tour (formerly known as Futures). And as their success increases, they will begin their professional careers in ATP Challenger Tour qualifying, Challenger main draw, ATP Tour and Grand Slam qualifying and ultimately the main draw of ATP Tour and Grand Slam events.

The new structure is designed to increase mobility for players who are winning matches, as well as reducing player stagnation in the ATP Rankings. The ranking points and prize money on offer will incentivise players to compete upwards through the system by entering tournaments reflective of their ranking.

“The opportunity to progress from the juniors through the correct pathway into the professional game is critical, and the changes implemented at the ATP Challenger Tour will bring significant enhancements to the overall professionalisation of the sport at that level,” said ATP Chief Player Officer Ross Hutchins.

With all tournaments at the level now featuring 48-player draws (increased from 32), there will be approximately 2,400 additional available professional job opportunities with prize money and hotel accommodation included at the first rung of professional tennis throughout the season. Tournaments will span seven days with qualifying held on Mondays, greatly assisting player scheduling. No longer will a player miss the chance to play qualifying in the coming week of a neighbouring Challenger event because he has made a deep run at a Challenger in the current week.

In total, the number of players in the ATP Rankings has decreased from 2,042 to 679 as the new ranking structure debuts this week. The remaining players will fall under the ITF World Tennis Ranking and compete at ITF events. The best at this level will eventually use their ITF ranking to play up and enter Challenger tournaments.

At lower-level Challengers, there will be four spots in the qualifying draw. Three will be reserved for players based on their ITF World Tennis Ranking plus one wild card. At the higher-level Challengers, there will be two spots reserved for players based on their ATP Ranking and two wild cards. In both instances, two players will advance from qualifying to the main draw.

Hutchins added, “These new changes to the ATP Challenger Tour and ATP Rankings have been carefully considered over a long period and I’m confident they will lead to a clearer, fairer pathway for players. We will of course continue to carefully measure job opportunities and rankings mobility under the new structure, along with ensuring the pathway into and up and down the rankings continues to serve the sport in an optimal way.”

In 2019, reduced ATP Rankings points will be offered at $25,000+H ITF events. No ATP Rankings points will be awarded at any ITF events from 2020 onwards.

The ATP is also working to increase the number of Challengers and the number of physiotherapists at events. Additional ATP staff will attend the tournaments, helping to educate younger players about life on the Tour.

In a move to enhance the status of the Challenger Tour, the ATP also has a goal to stream all matches from all events. This will increase exposure of players and tournaments at the level, shining a brighter light on those striving to establish a successful professional career.

Challenger Category & Prize Money Breakdown

View complete ATP Rankings points breakdown

Novak Djokovic remained on course for a third Qatar ExxonMobil Open title after rallying from a set down to beat Marton Fucsovics 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 on Wednesday.

The two-time champion, who improves to 14-1 in Doha, was tested throughout the opening two sets, but managed to win 67 per cent of second-serve return points in the final set (14/21) to book his place in the quarter-finals. Djokovic’s only loss in Doha came on his debut in 2015, falling in three sets to Ivo Karlovic in the quarter-finals.

In 2016, Djokovic did not drop a set en route to his maiden crown in Qatar, beating Tomas Berdych and Rafael Nadal in back-to-back matches to clinch the title. The following year, Djokovic retained the trophy with hard fought three-set wins over Fernando Verdasco and Andy Murray.

Djokovic will meet 2018 runner-up Andrey Rublev or fifth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili for a place in the semi-finals. The World No. 1 owns a 1-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Basilashvili and has never met Rublev at tour-level.

In a tense opening set, Fucsovics started with confidence before making the decisive move at 4-4. The Geneva champion pushed Djokovic to the limit in extended rallies, with the World No. 1 needing all his defensive skill and variety to keep pace. But, after saving two break points, Djokovic was unable to contain his opponent much longer. Fucsovics eventually broke serve on his third break point of the game with a driven backhand up the line before holding his nerve to serve out the set to love.

Fucsovics maintained his level in the second set, trading blows with Djokovic in baseline rallies and finding success on his forehand side. But Djokovic managed to raise his level when it mattered most. The 72-time tour-level titlist found his range on his forehand side, earning two set points with a sharp-angled forehand winner before clinching the set in dramatic fashion as Fucsovics made an ill-judged Hawk Eye challenge on a Djokovic forehand which clipped the baseline.

Djokovic rode the momentum into the third set, holding serve comfortably to 15 before capitalising on back-to-back forehand errors from his opponent to break for a 2-0 lead. A second break soon followed after a confident love service hold and, despite surrendering one of his service breaks, Djokovic immediately regained his double-break advantage before closing out the match. The Serbian converted his first match point with a backhand winner up the line.

Kevin Anderson returned to the Tata Open Maharashtra quarter-finals on Wednesday, overcoming the challenge of Laslo Djere 7-6(3), 7-6(6).

The top seed, who reached the championship match on his Pune debut last year (l. to Simon), saved one set point at 5-6 (30/40) in the second set before closing out the match on his second match point. Anderson fired 20 aces en route to victory after two hours and eight minutes.

Anderson will face Jaume Munar in the quarter-finals. The seventh seed raced into the last eight after a tough opening set, beating Simone Bolelli 7-5, 6-0.

Ernests Gulbis booked his place in the quarter-finals after beating second seed Hyeon Chung 7-6(2), 6-2 in one hour and 38 minutes. The 2018 Intrum Stockholm Open runner-up landed eight aces and converted five of eight break points to overcome Chung, who was contesting his first match of the 2019 ATP Tour season.

Gulbis will meet Ivo Karlovic for a spot in the semi-finals. The 39-year-old Croatian won 86 per cent of service points to overpower Evgeny Donskoy 6-4, 7-5.

Fifth seed Benoit Paire moved one win away from his fourth straight Tata Open Maharashtra semi-final with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Jiri Vesely. The 29-year-old Frenchman dropped just two points behind his first serve (20/22) throughout the 71-minute contest. Paire will meet defending champion Gilles Simon in the quarter-finals.

Simon, who lifted the trophy on his tournament debut last year, recovered from a set down to beat Ilya Ivashka of Belarus 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-1. The Frenchman saved all six break points he faced to improve to 6-0 in Pune.

Malek Jaziri defeated Indian wild card Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals. The fourth seed recovered from a set down and a 0/3 deficit in the second-set tie-break to advance after two hours and 46 minutes. Jaziri will meet Steve Darcis in the last eight. Darcis also came from behind, beating Michael Mmoh 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.

Bambridge/O’Mara Reach Semi-finals
Luke Bambridge and Jonny O’Mara captured a tight opening set before racing to a 7-6(5), 6-1 win over N. Sriram Balaji and Arjun Kadhe. The British duo needed just 68 minutes to reach the semi-finals, winning 67 per cent of service points (43/64) en route to victory.

Bambridge and O’Mara, who captured titles in Eastbourne and Stockholm in 2018, will meet Gerard Granollers and Marcel Granollers for a place in the championship match. The Spanish pairing beat Denys Molchanov and Igor Zelenay 6-4, 6-7(3), 10-6 in 87 minutes.

After a solid off-season, Stan Wawrinka is growing in confidence and beginning 2019 in a positive frame of mind. Twenty-four hours on from beating Karen Khachanov at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, the 33-year-old got the better of Nicolas Jarry of Chile 6-4, 7-6(3) over 89 minutes for a place in the quarter-finals.

Wawrinka, the 2008 Doha finalist who went 17-17 last year, broke Jarry in the fifth game of the first set and took early control of the second set tie-break. He sets up a clash against seventh-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, who cruised past fellow Spaniard and qualifier Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1, 6-4 in 70 minutes.

Tomas Berdych recorded his 11th win in 15 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings against Fernando Verdasco, rallying from a set down to beat the eighth seed 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. The 33-year-old Czech, who reached the championship match in 2015 (l. to Ferrer), improves to 12-5 in Doha.

Berdych will meet Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the quarter-finals. The Frenchman edged past Maximilian Marterer 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(6) in two hours and 29 minutes.

Elsewhere, Argentina’s Guido Pella withdrew ahead of his second round clash against fourth seed Marco Cecchinato of Italy due to lower back pain. Pella now faces Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, who edged past Lithuanian qualifier Ricardas Berankis 7-6(4), 0-6, 7-5 in two hours and 11 minutes.

Are You In? Subscribe To Get Tournament Updates In Your Inbox

Djokovic Brothers Book Semi-final Spot
Marko Djokovic and Novak Djokovic continued their run in Doha, beating Damir Dzumhur and Dusan Lajovic 7-5, 3-6, 10-7 to reach the semi-finals.

The Serbian brothers advanced after 89 minutes, saving eight of 11 break points en route to victory. Novak Djokovic also eliminated Dzumhur from singles action on Tuesday, dropping just three games to triumph 6-1, 6-2.

Standing between the wild cards and the championship match will be David Goffin and Pierre-Hugues Herbert. Goffin and Herbert beat third seeds Nikola Mektic and Alexander Peya 6-2, 3-6, 10-3.

Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop needed only 58 minutes to reach the last four, defeating Maximo Gonzalez and Nicolas Jarry 6-2, 6-4. The Dutch will meet Santiago Gonzalez and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi for a place in the final.