Grand Slams are the marquee events in the world of tennis. Professional players put their best foot forward at these events to etch their names in the annals of history. Major tournaments are easily some of the biggest sporting events in the world, as they put tennis on a global platform and draw crowds. However, a recent analogy suggested that regular ATP and WTA are more important than majors, starting a discourse on social media.
There are four major Slams played in a calendar year. The Australian Open kicks off the season in January, followed by several ATP and WTA tournaments. May sees the biggest clay court major in Paris, that is, the French Open. The tour then moves to the green lawns of Wimbledon, and finally, the last major of the year is the US Open.
Recently, one user on the social media site X started a controversy online. They suggested that winning the Indian Wells or Miami Open was more prestigious than winning a Grand Slam.
Some days I’d even argue that winning Indian Wells or Miami is actually more prestigious and leads to more off court opportunities than winning Roland Garros. Which is an actual GRAND SLAM tournament. 🤷🏽♂️
— Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) February 26, 2024
The user reasoned that winning the double led to more off-court opportunities, compared to any major tournament. In response to the tweet, users stated that outside the US, others did not care so much about the North American hard court swing. Several others resorted to taking digs, and here are a few reactions to the post.
In which part of the world? No one gives two shits about North American hard court Masters where I’m from. And pretty sure that’s true in South America and majority of Europe as well. For most of the world tennis is all about the 4 Majors, any other tournament is a distant 5th.
— AJ (@ajafarey) February 26, 2024
Which explains the American men for the last 15 years being satisfied winning either IW/Miami
— Lewdog (@lewdog73) February 26, 2024
Perhaps in America, but I wouldn’t say that’s the case for the rest of the world.
— Genevieve (@gena19newman) February 26, 2024
Nadal with 14 RGs realising that parking lot Miami masters is more prestigious https://t.co/1Sf0tbIBEq pic.twitter.com/es4I1Qhx8T
— Raghav (@raghavv_01) February 27, 2024
theyre at it again!! https://t.co/cifDrEZso4 pic.twitter.com/iq98Du6UXA
— marxist-keninist (@tennisywilliams) February 26, 2024
This new discourse has gained traction on the social media platform. In this article, we take a closer look at the differences between a major tournament and other regular events. We will also look into the glorious history of the Sunshine Doubles.
What is the Sunshine Double in tennis?
The Sunshine Double refers to winning the Indian Wells and Miami Open in the same year. It is so named because of the hot conditions in California.
Both tournaments are part of the ATP and WTA 1000 series and are played on outdoor hard courts. All Masters and WTA 1000 tournaments are ranked just below the Grand Slams, including the Sunshine Double.
Indian Wells marks the beginning of the season in North America and is closely followed by the Miami Open. Indian Wells began in 1974 and was held in different cities around the US. The venue shifted permanently to Indian Wells Tennis Garden in 1987.
The Miami Open began in 1985 and was known as the Lipton International Players Championship. Between 1987 and 2018, the tournament was held in Biscayne Beach before moving to Miami Gardens in 2019.
So far, only ten players have managed to win the Sunshine Doubles. Even fewer have won it multiple times, including Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Novak has won it four times, more than any other player in the history of tennis.
How do regular tournaments compare to Grand Slams?
There are four major tournaments for both the ATP and the WTA. On the men’s side of the tour, in addition to the Grand Slams, there are nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. Additionally, there are 13 ATP 500 events and 40 ATP 250 tournaments played throughout the season.
The Grand Slams are the most lucrative tournaments, not only in terms of prize money but also in terms of the points players can gain from them. All the major tournaments offer the same prize money to men and women, even though the total may vary from one year to the next.
- The prize pool for the Australian Open is $71,500,000, which gets divided among all the participating players.
- For the French Open, the prize pool is $47,514,626,00.
- For Wimbledon, it is $6,384,640,68.
- As for the last major of the year, the US Open has a pool of $57,500,00.
- The winner gets 2000 points, while the runner-up gets 1200 points.
On the ATP side of the tour, the prize money for the Masters tournaments is between $2,450,000 and $3,645,000. For the WTA 1000 tournaments, the prize pool is usually around $1,000,000. Whoever wins the 1000 event earns 1000 points, and the runner-up gets 650 points.
- For the ATP 500 tournaments, the prize pool is between $755,000 and $2,100,000, and the winner gets 500 points.
- On the WTA side, the prize pool is in the range of $50,000, and the winner gets 470 points.
- For the ATP 250 tournaments, the prize pool is between $415,000 and $1,025,000, with 250 points on offer for the winner.
- On the WTA side of the tour, the 250 events have a prize pool of $250,000, and the winner makes 280 points.
Additionally, there are the year-end championships too—the ATP and the WTA Finals. Only the top eight-ranked players get to compete for glory at the end of the season. The prize money for the WTA Finals is $5,000,000, with the winner getting 1500 points. On the ATP side, the prize pool is $7,250,000, and the winner gets between 1100 and 1500 points.
How do the tournaments affect the ranking system?
Each player has a chance to accumulate points over the long season by competing in different tournaments. The points a player then gets depend on how far they progress at any tournament.
The ATP rankings are based on an average of 19 best tour performances over 52 weeks. The rankings show how each individual has performed throughout the year and how they compare to their peers. On the WTA side, these numbers are based on an average of 16 best results over 52 weeks. Moreover, the rankings are updated every Monday.
A shake-up atop the ATP rankings 💥
How long will @DjokerNole hold onto the #1 spot? pic.twitter.com/D0Iajvqgbh
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 30, 2023
This article delved deeper into the intricacies of the tournaments and the rules that govern the sport. The user on X began a discourse on Grand Slams vs. regular tournaments, and hopefully, this in-depth analysis will have answered all questions.
