New Men’s Ranking System in 2000

The current complicated men’s tennis rankings are to be scrapped and replaced by a 12-month “race for the world championship,” ATP Tour officials announced at Wimbledon on Wednesday.

The new system, which will go into effect in 2000, is designed to force top players to play in all four grand slam events and all of the “Super 9” tournaments or suffer in the rankings.

Under the current system, the players’ best 14 tournaments make up their ranking using a “rolling year,” with points lost and gained each week.

But Mark Miles, ATP Tour chief executive officer, said: “We have decided to change the rankings system so it is based on a calendar year. . . . Instead of looking at the rankings in April and saying a player is No. 1 in the world we will be saying he is in the lead in the race for the championship.”

Points will be earned from the four grand slam events and the next nine biggest tournaments on the circuit. A player will be able to supplement those points with his best five lower-tier tournament results.