Painful WTA schedule 2024 and why players are angry

• The ATP and WTA Schedule 2024 is a pain for most tennis players
• Every year, the WTA Tour hosts 50 tournaments in different categories
• For ranking, a player must play a minimum number of matches in every category

The ATP and WTA Schedule 2024 is a pain for most tennis players, among them Iga Swiatek who feels drained.

Swiatek says that the WTA is failing them by being ‘oppressive’ and not doing anything to make it better for them. World no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka hit out at the women’s tennis body citing unfavourable playing conditions during the Cancun, Mexico, WTA Finals last year.

She also voiced worries regarding the rigorous schedule which Swiatek has also spoken about.

How Many Tournaments are in the WTA Season?

Every year, the WTA Tour hosts 50 tournaments in different categories. Each tier has a different prize money pool. For instance, the four Grand Slams: The US Open, Wimbledon, the Australian Open, and the French Open have the highest prize money.

Then, WTA 1000 follows in the second tier, WTA 500 in the third tier and WTA 250 coming in fourth.

WTA Schedule 2024

Female tennis players are complaining about a tough WTA Schedule 2024 – male tennis players have also voiced concern over a tight ATP Tour Schedule. Swiatek offers a reason why tennis is getting harder. The Pole points the finger at the rise in ATP and WTA events players are required to play in. She says that it is highly likely they are to blame for the increased spate of injuries among male and female tennis players.

World no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Photo/Eurosport

Tennis players expressed dissatisfaction throughout 2023, citing lengthy schedules and frequent ball changes as the primary causes of injuries. Players’ criticisms about the frequent modifications to the ball have decreased in 2024 but their complaints about the rigorous and lengthy schedule are constant.

Sabalenka and Swiatek are so outspoken about the tight nature of the schedule. Swiatek recently stated that she feels so drained and needs a month or two to rest.

“After a match like the final in Madrid I feel like I need two months of rest, but I can’t. Now we have to recover and adapt to the playing courts, which are a little different, slower. The season is very tight, the tournaments are very close together, so we have to adapt,” she said during a podcast with WTA Insider.

The four-time Grand Slam champion pointed out the Madrid Open had an unusually high number of injured players. Players are under physical stress and their bodies eventually give in.

Here is a breakdown of the number of matches in every tennis event within the WTA schedule.

• 4 Grand Slams – More prize money and rewards with the highest number of points.
• 10 WTA 1000 – Highest tier tournaments outside of Grand Slams with the second-highest points and prize money
• 14 WTA 500 (12-14) – Mid-tier events with lower prize money and ranking points compared to WTA 1000.
• 32 WTA 250 – Entry-level tournaments with the least prize money and ranking points.

The WTA schedule also includes a few other competitions, like the Billie Jean King Cup and the WTA Finals, played by the top 8 female tennis players.

Which WTA Tournaments are Mandatory?

WTA Finals 2023. Photo/Open Court

WTA 1000 events – 10 of them – are mandatory. If a player doesn’t play in them, they do not earn any ranking points. These WTA 1000 tournaments include the following:

1. Indian Wells
2. Cincinnati Open
3. Rome Open
4. Doha Open
5. Madrid Open
6. Beijing Open
7. Dubai Open
8. Miami Open
9. Canadian Open
10. Wuhan Open

Further, for ranking, female tennis players are required to play a minimum of four WTA 500 events, one of which must be after the US Open.  Generally, to be listed in the WTA Rankings, players must do the following:

• Earn ranking points in three or more valid tournaments
• Earn 10 singles ranking points or 10 doubles ranking points in one or more valid tournaments

Conclusion

With the demanding tennis schedule, tennis players strive to play in the four Grand Slams because that’s a career builder. Unless a player has an injury, they will rarely miss the majors. For the Masters event, missing is penalized in ranking, the more the reason players strive to play a minimum number of matches to keep the points on the chart.