How does the points system work on the Tennis ATP Rankings?
http://stevegtennis.com/entrypoints.txt is the easiest site for statistical data. Players points are accumulated from the previous 52 weeks, except before the Masters Cup; where the points for the previous MC are inexplicably dropped before the tournament begins. If one player held only a narrow points lead at this point of the year, and one of his advantages over the other player was Masters Cup points, the #2 player could get in for a week so. It’s yet to happen yet though, and probably won’t. Players have to “defend” points from previous competitions and can try and can gain ones from events they didn’t enter the previous year. In regards to “defending” points, Nadal had 250 points to defend from last years U.S. Open but only reached the 4th round (150) so 100 points where slashed from his tally. Federer’s remains the same, anything less than a win at that competition would lose him points. The fact that Fed is #1
