challenger tour ranking points

Where heroes are made...

Tournaments

The Asian Swing: Everything you need to know

All you need to know about the Race to Dubai

Rolex Series

All you need to know about the Rolex Series

The next generation of golfing talent will battle it out on the road to mallorca., top five on tour, meet your road to mallorca rankings leaders.

Mikael LINDBERG

Rasmus NEERGAARD-PETERSEN

David RAVETTO

Past champions, pevious challenge tour number ones.

Marco PENGE

Nathan KIMSEY

Marcus HELLIGKILDE

Ondrej LIESER

Kruyswijk finishes with a flourish to win the Dormy Open

Who is on course for promotion to the DP World Tour from the Challenge Tour?

Bairstow wins in Scotland to secure maiden Challenge Tour title

Challenge Tour Partners

The ATP Challenger Tour: Path to the Big Time

• Last updated on May 2, 2023

Established in 1978, the Challenger circuit has grown into an important stepping stone for young tennis players looking to make it to the highest levels of the sport. 

History of the Challenger Tour

The Challenger circuit was established as a way to provide a professional level of competition for tennis players who weren’t yet ready to compete on the main tour. The circuit initially consisted of just five tournaments in the United States, but quickly grew in popularity and spread around the world.

By the mid-1980s, the Challengers had become an important part of the tennis landscape, with dozens of tournaments held each year. In 1986, the ATP officially recognized the circuit and began awarding ranking points to players based on their performances.

Since then, the circuit has continued to grow in popularity and importance, with the number of tournaments held annually growing steadily year by year. In 2008 there were 178 events played across 40 different countries. 

And although numbers have occasionally diminished, for example in the first quarter of 2013 and an inevitable dip due to Covid-19, they’ve since bounced back with 184 events taking place in 2022 and a record 190 plus planned for 2023.

Format of the Challenger Circuit

Challenger tournaments are generally smaller than those on the ATP World Tour, with most events featuring a draw of 32 or 64 players.

The format of the tournaments is similar to that of other professional tennis events, with players competing in singles and doubles matches. The matches are generally played over three sets, although some tournaments may have different rules depending on the surface and location of the event.

The winner of a Challenger event typically earns around 80 ranking points and a prize purse of between $50,000 and $125,000. By contrast, the winner of an ATP Tour event can earn upwards of 1,000 ranking points and a prize purse of more than $1 million.

However in 2023 the ATP launched a new tier of Challengers known as Challenger 175s in which, as the name suggests, the winner can earn 175 points along with prize money of $220,000. 

Importance of the ATP Challenger Circuit

For young, ambitious players, the Challenger circuit is vital. It provides an opportunity to gain valuable experience playing against other pros, while also earning vital ranking points and prize money.

Many of the world’s top players have competed in Challenger events at some point in their careers. Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray all spent time on the Challenger circuit before making it to the main tour. In fact, Nadal won his first professional title at a Challenger event in 2002, Djokovic in 2004.

The circuit is also an important way for players to gain exposure and build their profiles in the tennis world. While it may not have the same level of media coverage as the ATP Tour, it provides a platform for players to showcase their talents and gain recognition from fans and sponsors.

In addition to helping young players make their way up the rankings, the Challenger circuit also plays an important role in the overall development of the sport. By providing a professional level of competition for players who are not yet ready for the ATP Tour, the circuit helps to ensure a strong pipeline of talent coming up through the ranks.

Challenger Challenges

Despite its importance, the circuit faces numerous challenges in the modern era. One of the biggest is the high cost of hosting events, which can run up to $200,000 when accounting for prize money, player accommodations, and other expenses. With smaller prize pools and less visibility than ATP Tour events, hosting organizations may struggle to justify the expense of hosting a Challenger tournament.

Another issue is the emergence of alternative tours and circuits, such as the ITF World Tennis Tour and the PTPA Challenger-style circuit. These tours provide players with additional options for competing at the professional level, which may lead some players to prioritize these events over Challenger tournaments.

The Challenger Circuit has been criticized for being financially unsustainable for players who are not in the top 100. The prize money on offer at Challenger tournaments is significantly less than that on the ATP Tour, and the costs associated with travelling to tournaments and paying for accommodation can make it difficult for players to make a living on the Challenger Circuit.

Rising to the Challenge

If you get the opportunity, the Challenger circuit is a great way to get to see up and coming stars before they hit the big time – and the occasional wizened pro. Keep an eye out right here for info on individual tournaments and if you’re looking to start your own path to the Challengers check out our round up of the best tennis rackets for beginners .

Recent Posts:

• Ways to Watch
• Tahiti Bound
• WSL One Ocean
• Notifications

2023 Men's Challenger Series

Rankings as of October 21, 2023

Points Legend

• CT indicates athletes who have qualified prior to the 2023 Challenger Series.
• Points in Red indicate athlete withdrew or was injured from the event.
• Points with Strikethrough are events that have been dropped from the athlete\'s points total.

Qualified for the CT

World Surf League

Tours and competition.

• Competitor Services
• Rules and Regulations
• Give Feedback

How Do Tennis Rankings Work? (Easy Guide)

When you are a professional tennis player, you often get asked “how do you become a professional tennis player?”. Because tennis is an individual sport, players do not get hired by a team or club (like the NBA, NFL, NHL, Soccer/Football Clubs, etc) so it can be quite difficult to understand the path players need to take in order to reach the top of the rankings.

Tennis rankings work based on a points system that adds up players’ 18 best results in the previous 52 weeks. In order to earn ranking points, tennis players must participate in events hosted by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the ATP, and the WTA. The number of points earned by the player depends on the round the player loses.

The ITF hosts the Grand Slams and the ITF World Tour Circuit for both men and women. The ATP is in charge of the men’s ATP Tour and Challenger Tour and the WTA takes the lead on the women’s side, putting together the WTA Premier Mandatory, WTA Premier 5, WTA Premier, WTA International and WTA 125K events. Each one of these events has a different point distribution system. 

ATP Ranking (Men’s Tour)

The ATP rankings list is the gold standard when it comes to men’s tennis. “The ATP is the governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuits – the ATP Tour and the ATP Challenger Tour. The ATP determines the rules for ATP tournaments and determines the points allocation for all men’s professional events ” (ITF World Tennis Tour).

A professional tennis player’s ability to enter tournaments is determined by their position in the rankings. The higher a player’s ranking is (closer to #1), the better. If a player is ranked #70 in the world, wins a tournament, and moves to #40, that player is considered to have moved up in the rankings.

A player’s ranking is determined by their performance in Grand Slams, ATP Tour and Challenger Tournaments, 25K ITF tournaments, and 15K ITF Tournaments. The player’s ranking is based on their best 16 results during a calendar year. The points for a tournament will count towards a player’s ranking for a total of 52 weeks following the result.The ATP Points allocation table is as follows: 

ITF $15,000 and $25,000 (Men)

The first step on the journey of becoming a professional tennis player is to play ITF 15Ks and 25Ks, which are called “futures events.” Futures are where players can earn their first ATP points and get their names on the rankings.

Futures are small events with a total purse of either 15K or 25K distributed among all the players, which includes both singles and doubles. In order to enter these events, players need an IPIN account (a service by ITF), which costs $65 dollars a year. Anyone can have an IPIN account, even without ATP points, and it is on this platform where players sign up for tournaments.

The first (of many) challenging part of playing professionally is being able to play futures events without having ATP points.

When players sign up for futures, the acceptance list is based on the ATP Ranking. There are 20 main draw spots and 48 qualifying spots . If players do not have ATP points, they will often find themselves deep on the alternates page on the acceptance list.

Alternates are the players waiting to get into qualifying. In futures, the players in the qualifying and alternate lists need to sign in to the tournament on-site the day before the qualifying starts.

The problem when players are starting to play futures (and have no ranking) is that there are often many players in front of them on the list, which can be deflating. It is hard to justify traveling to a tournament without knowing for a fact if that player will be able to compete.

That is not to say the qualifying draw will always fill up and you won’t be able to play. In fact, most lower-level tournaments do end up having multiple spots not filled in the qualifying after sign-in. Regardless, starting your professional career can feel overwhelming from the get-go. Some people can rely on wild cards but that is a luxury most players do not have. In any case, here is the points break-down for futures:

Earning that first ATP point is super important. Not only is it a great personal achievement, but it means a player will often be able to compete in any futures qualifying draw. While not many people bat an eye at futures events, they are a major character-building time in a player’s career.

The majority of the players are not able to level up to challengers, therefore most pro careers die here. Now let’s move on to the next level, the ATP Challenger Tour. 

ATP Challenger Tour:

After you earn enough points at playing futures, you can graduate to the ATP Challenger Tour. The Challengers are the lowest level tournaments hosted by the ATP. There are 5 tiers of challengers: ATP Challenger Tour 80, 90, 100, 110 and 125. Here is the points breakdown:

As you can see, there is a huge jump in points awarded per round won from futures to challengers. That translates into much tougher competition. Players whose rankings are high enough to be directly accepted will most often compete at a challenger because there is more money and points to be earned.

Cutoffs have changed a bit this year because the draw size at Challenger events increased from 32 to 48 players. Regardless, the cutoff will largely depend on the availability of other tournaments at any given week. Weeks that only have one or two challengers will have cutoffs in the three hundreds, where weeks where there are 4 plus challengers will see the cutoffs dropping to the five, six hundreds. 

The challenger level is where we see a lot of the current stars break through. It is where the great get separated from the good. If you ever have the chance to go watch a challenger, do it. Entrance will most likely be free and you will watch high quality tennis all around.  Most challenger events include one, if not a couple of current top 100 players.

ATP Tour Events

Aside from Grand Slams, the ATP Tour events are the most well known tournaments. As a player, the ATP Tour is where you want to be. The tournaments are bigger, there is more money and points involved and the atmosphere is awesome. The ATP Tour is the NBA of the tennis world. To consistently play ATP Tour events, a player will have to be ranked inside the top 100. There are three tiers of ATP tour events: ATP Tour 250, ATP Tour 500 and ATP Tour Masters 1000. 

Again, you can see the point distribution drastically increases from the Challenger Tour to the ATP Tour. Players competing on the ATP Tour are the best of the best, and it is every tennis player’s dream to be able to compete on the ATP Tour throughout their careers. The only events that are bigger are the Grand Slams. 

Grand Slams

The Grand Slams are the holy grail of tennis. They are the most prestigious events of the year and this is where the most points are awarded. There are four grand slams: Australian Open, Roland Garros (French Open), Wimbledon and the US Open. Here is the points breakdown:

As you should notice, there are massive amounts of points that can be gained at grand slam events. For a player to become number one, he/she will most likely have to win a Grand Slam. If not, the players will have to be incredibly consistent outside of Grand slams. Very few players have achieved that. 

WTA Tour (Women’s)

The WTA journey is, for the most part, similar to the ATP. The Women’s Tennis Association is the governing body of the women’s professional tennis circuits. It determines the points allocation for all events. Here is the WTA Points Table.

“A player’s ranking for singles is based off their best 16 tournaments and best 11 tournaments for doubles. To have a WTA ranking, players must have WTA ranking points from 3 tournaments or a total of 10 WTA ranking points” – ITF World Tour Points website.

As you can see, there are a few differences in the point structure between the ATP and the WTA. On the women’s side, you need to earn points in three different events in order to be on the WTA rankings, where on the men’s side as long as you win one main draw future’s match, you will automatically be in the rankings.

How Many Points Players Need to Move Up Level

Now that you know how players earn ranking points, let’s take a look at how many points player’s need to earn in order to move up the rankings.

As you can see, the higher a player’s ranking is, the more points you need earn per tournament in order to continue the upwards trajectory in the rankings. During the future’s stage, it is easier to make big jumps up the rankings. As you move higher, the more difficult it is to do so.

Consistency is key and at the end of the day, there is no magic recipe; the more matches you win the higher your ranking will be. Outsiders usually do not understand how long the journey to top 100 is. It is quite literally a marathon and the majority of players won’t make it through the finish line. Most of the players who reach the top 100 do so after years on tour.

I’ve had some pretty cool experiences during my tennis career. I’ve reached the semifinals of the Orange Bowl U16 and as a junior, I ranked as high as #33 in the world. I have had wins over Dominic Thiem, Kyle Edmund, and Hugo Dellien (not sure how well I would do against them today, though). One of the coolest things I’ve done while playing was reaching the finals of the NCAA’s with UCLA, so I’m a great supporter of college tennis. I’ve won 3 futures since graduating, and I broke the top 400 on the ATP rankings. And most importantly, I have been to Pete Sampras’ house.

Recent Posts

The Best Babolat Tennis Rackets (for Every Type of Player)

Babolat have been producing tennis equipment since 1875, and today they manufacture a range of rackets that offers something for everyone. Whether you are on a tight budget, or money is no object,...

The Top 3 Best Babolat Tennis Rackets Under $100

If you are a beginner or recreational player, or a junior just considering your first full-sized racket, you will be pleased to know that Babolat offer a range aimed squarely at you. Without some of...

When you sign-up through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more >

Home ➔ Tennis ➔

Explaining the ATP Points Ranking

Now that tennis has officially been put on hold we decided now was probably a good time to explain how point rankings work in the ATP.

Understanding how the ATP ranking works may look a bit difficult at first if you are fairly new to tennis.

After all, there are many different tournament levels and points combinations, which takes some time to get used to.

Players are ranked according to their results from a 52-week period.

First, let’s take a look at what an average ATP tournament looks like.

Understanding the ATP Tournaments

The ATP Tour takes in the results from 14 different levels of events.

Players start from the lowest level, the ITF Futures, which are split into M25 and M15 events.

After achieving a high enough rank, players can then proceed to the ATP Challenger Tour events.

The next step is the ATP Tour itself, which is split into ATP 250, ATP 500, Masters 1000 and slams.

A tournament is divided into the main draw and the qualifying.

The top-ranked players entered in the tournament will earn an automatic spot into the main draw.

The remaining entrants can earn a spot by winning their bracket in a three-round, single-elimination format qualifying.

The tournament’s organization is also awarded a number of wild card invites.

At their discretion, the organizers are allowed to give these entries to players that don’t meet the qualifying criteria.

A wild card entrant is automatically placed into the main draw.

If the main draw participant withdraws from the competition, he is then replaced by the highest-ranked player eliminated from the final round of qualifying, the “lucky loser”.

All tournaments that are part of the regular ATP Tour calendar follow this same format, with the number of entrants being the only variable.

How the ATP Points System Works

With an understanding of how the tournament formats work, we now move on to the points system itself.

A total of 18 different types of event counts towards the ATP rankings.

The ITF Futures are the entry-level events.

Champions earn 18 points from the Futures 15 events and 36 points from the Futures 25 events.

Next up the order is the ATP Challenger Tour, the final stop before the ATP Tour itself.

The Challenger Tour has five different types of events – the Challenger 80, Challenger 90, Challenger 100, Challenger 110 and Challenger 125.

The number indicates the tournament’s points payout for the winner.

Now we proceed to the ATP Tour itself, starting with the ATP 250 events.

As the name suggests, these tournaments pay 250 points to the winner and make up the lowest tier at the Tour level.

The ATP Tour has a total of 39 ATP 250 tournaments spread across 25 countries.

The next events at the ATP Tour level are the ATP 500 tournaments, which payout 500 points to the champion.

The Tour calendar currently has 13 ATP 500 events, hosted by 12 countries.

Now we reach the Masters 1000 events, which payout 1,000 points to the champion.

The calendar has eight Masters 1000 tournaments, hosted by six countries.

Finally, we have the slams or major tournaments – the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

Each tournament pays 2,000 points to the champion.

The ranks are then calculated by taking into consideration 18 tournaments.

At the end of October, the top 8 players qualify for the year-end ATP Finals, which pay a minimum of 1,150 points, up to a maximum of 1,500.

For top players, this means the four majors, the eight Masters 1000, and six ATP 500 or ATP 250 tournaments.

The ATP Finals count as an additional 19th tournament for the top 8 players.

Players with a high ranking must take part in at least four ATP 500 tournaments over the course of the year.

The rank counts back to 52 weeks, meaning that the points carry over from one year to another.

The standings are updated weekly, with the number 1 player crowned after the ATP Finals.

Check out how point ranking works in the WTA here.

Bet on the WTA with these Sportsbooks!

Latest Tennis Articles

US Open Tennis 2023: Predictions, Betting Odds & Picks

Wimbledon 2023 Odds, Best Futures Picks, Predictions

French Open Predictions, Betting Odds & Picks

For all the latest tips, predictions and special offers directly into your inbox once a week.

• NBA vs WNBA
• UFC Weight Classes
• DraftKings vs FanDuel
• Fair-Weather Fans
• Best Movie Training Montages
• Parlay Calculator
• Horse Racing Calculator
• High School Athlete Endorsement Index
• NFL Offense Rankings
• NFL Defense Rankings
• Sportsbooks
• Best Sportsbooks
• NFL Betting Sites
• NBA Betting Sites
• MLB Betting Sites
• UFC Betting Sites
• Golf Betting Sites
• Live Betting Sites
• Fastest Payout Sportsbooks
• Best Sports Betting Apps
• Parlay Betting Sites
• Safest Betting Sites
• Best Social Sportsbooks
• Party Casino
• Ocean Casino
• $5 Minimum Deposit Casinos
• Live Dealer Casinos
• Credit Card Casinos
• Chanced Casino
• Virgin Casino
• Horseplay Casino
• Wheel of Fortune Casino
• NFL Picks Against the Spread
• NFL Betting Promos
• NFL Futures
• Super Bowl Odds
• NFC Championship Odds
• AFC Championship Odds
• NFL MVP Odds
• NFL Offensive Player Of The Year Odds
• NFL Defensive Player Of The Year Odds
• NFL Win Totals Odds
• View All NFL Futures
• DraftKings Promos
• DraftKings Ohio Promo Code
• DraftKings PA Promo Code
• DraftKings Illinois Promo Code
• DraftKings MA Promo Code
• DraftKings MI Promo Code
• DraftKings MD Promo Code
• DraftKings NJ Promo Code
• DraftKings CO Promo Code
• DraftKings KS Promo Code
• DraftKings AZ Promo Code
• DraftKings KY Promo Code
• How We Rate
• Editorial Principles
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Underage Policy
• Player Rights
• KYC (Know Your Customer)
• Security Policy

© Rebel Penguin ApS 2024 (a subsidiary of Gaming Innovation Group Inc.) We support responsible gambling. 21+ Only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. WSN.com is run by iGaming Cloud Inc (a Gaming Innovation Group Subsidiary) and is registered with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) under affiliate vendor ID 89744, with the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) under certificate of registration number SWR-000148, approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board as a gaming service provider, under certificate registration number 117656-1, possesses a Vendor Minor sports betting license from the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (account number 94414163), granted a vendor registration number VR007603-20-001 by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, an interim Sports Wagering Supplier license, under license number SWS 066, issued by the West Virginia Lottery Commission, a sports betting vendor registration, under registration number #100400, issued by the Director of Gaming Licensing and Investigations of the Virginia Lottery to operate in the State of Virginia, and a Vendor Registration issued by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation. Advertising disclosure: WSN contains links to online retailers on its website. When people click on our affiliate links and make purchases, WSN earns a commission from our partners, including ESPN and various sportsbooks.

2023 ATP Challenger Tour: By The Numbers

T he ATP Challenger Tour broke all the records in its 46th season, totaling 196 events while increasing the prize money and amount of points on offer. Before we head to the short Challenger Tour break, here are a bunch of stats and facts about what took place in 2023. Feel free to check out the previous editions of this piece about the years –  2022 , 2021 , 2020 , and 2019 .

Tournaments by surface

• 97 – Clay (including two indoor events in Szekesfehervar and Maia)
• 63 – Outdoor hard
• 32 – Indoor hard

One of the main goals of the ATP for 2023 was the optimization of the Challenger calendar, which presents itself in a more even spread of tournaments on clay and hard. In 2022, 58% of ATP Challenger Tour events were held on clay, a figure that is down to 49% now. Grass remains on tour with the UK Swing of Surbiton/Nottingham/Ilkley, while Ismaning is still the only carpet Challenger left. Szekesfehervar joined Maia as the 2nd indoor clay venue. What’s especially striking is the number of outdoor hard court tournaments going up by 20 compared to 2022.

Number of events per country

• 22 – United States
• 16 – France

Italy retains its spot at the top of this leaderboard, although the United States actually had two more events scheduled which were canceled (Columbus, Las Vegas). It’s the same top 3 and same order as in 2022, despite Italy going down from 28 to 23 tournaments held.

Titles won per country (singles)

• 27 – France
• 21 – Argentina
• 17 – Italy, United States
• 13 – Australia

The previous record stood at 23 (Argentina 2022) and was blown to pieces by France this year with 19 different champions (27-24 in finals). It was a very solid campaign for Australia, the only country with a double-digit number in 2023 that didn’t get there in 2022.

Most titles won (singles)

• 5 – Mariano Navone
• 4 – Facundo Diaz Acosta, Aleksandar Kovacevic, Thiago Seyboth Wild, Alejandro Tabilo
• 3 – Matteo Arnaldi, Zizou Bergs, Nuno Borges, Constant Lestienne, Hamad Medjedovic, Andy Murray, Max Purcell, Zachary Svajda

Mariano Navone had a chance to post at least 6 titles as the 7th player in history, but lost his 6th final after going unbeaten in the first 5 (the record belongs to Tallon Griekspoor, who won 8 in 2021 ). Andy Murray clinching 3 titles was quite a big narrative with the former World No. 1 returning to the winners’ circle on the Challenger Tour after almost 18 years.

Most titles won (doubles)

• 8 – Dan Added, Evan King
• 7 – Hendrik Jebens, Andrew Paulson, Reese Stalder
• 6 – Guido Andreozzi, Victor Vlad Cornea, Constantin Frantzen, Petr Nouza

Evan King/Reese Stalder were the leaders in titles as a pair, winning 7 of them (King added one with Brandon Nakashima). Dan Added clinched 4 trophies with Albano Olivetti and 1 each with four other Frenchmen.

Most match wins (singles)

• 45 – Francisco Comesana
• 44 – Facundo Diaz Acosta
• 42 – Luciano Darderi
• 41 – James Duckworth, Alejandro Tabilo
• 40 – Flavio Cobolli, Mariano Navone

Francisco Comesana tops the list after losing his last 8 Challenger matches in 2022, largely thanks to a streak of 9 consecutive quarterfinals. Antoine Escoffier, at 38 wins, was the player with the highest amount of match victories who missed out on a title (one final in Segovia, seven semifinal appearances). All the players at 40+ but James Duckworth posted personal-best figures with the Australian previously scoring 49 Challenger Tour wins in 2019.

Best win percentage (minimum 15 matches played)

• 94% – Andy Murray (15-1)
• 88% – Ugo Humbert (14-2)
• 84% – Jordan Thompson (16-3)
• 83% – Max Purcell (34-7)
• 81% – Jack Draper (13-3), Thiago Seyboth Wild (38-9)

ATP Top 50 Singles Ranking Participation (Challenger 175 category excluded)

• 25 – Daniel Evans – Surbiton – Second round (lost to Gabriel Diallo)
• 40 – Roberto Bautista Agut – Second round (lost to Billy Harris)
• 41 – Jiri Lehecka – Prostejov – Quarterfinal (lost to Lukas Klein)
• 43 – Andy Murray – Surbiton – Champion
• 43 – Andy Murray – Nottingham – Champion
• 47 – Marc-Andrea Huesler – Mexico City – Second round (lost to Federico Gaio)
• 47 – Adrian Mannarino – Oeiras – Second round (lost to Kimmer Coppejans)
• 50 – David Goffin – Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve – Champion

Besides the new Challenger 175 category (more on that later in the article), players ranked between 11-50 can only enter a Challenger Tour event with a wildcard pre-approved by the ATP. Daniel Evans and Andy Murray usually play a grass Challenger or two, and Jiri Lehecka and David Goffin appeared at events in their home countries. Marc-Andrea Huesler was trying to defend his title from 2022, while Roberto Bautista Agut chose Malaga as his first tournament after an injury. Adrian Mannarino made an interesting call of playing a Challenger on a surface that doesn’t suit his game at all, assuming he gets more playtime than in any of the main tour events that week.

Finals Between Top Seeds (singles)

• (2) Rinky Hijikata over (1) James Duckworth in Burnie
• (2) Fabian Marozsan over (1) Sebastian Ofner in Antalya
• (2) Matteo Arnaldi over (1) Borna Gojo in Murcia
• (2) Alexander Shevchenko over (1) Pedro Cachin in Madrid
• (1) Tomas Barrios Vera over (2) Alejandro Tabilo in Florianopolis
• (2) Steve Johnson over (1) Arthur Cazaux in Lexington
• (1) Christopher O’Connell over (2) Yosuke Watanuki in Shanghai

Qualifier Champions

• Joris De Loore – Oeiras (1)
• Arthur Cazaux – Nonthaburi (2)
• Dominik Koepfer – Mexico City
• Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard – Leon
• Sumit Nagal – Rome
• Mate Valkusz – Skopje
• Sho Shimabukuro – Tunis
• Vitaliy Sachko – Bratislava
• Manuel Guinard – Troyes
• Duje Ajdukovic – Luedenscheid
• Oriol Roca Batalla – Braga
• Ugo Blanchet – Malaga
• Kyrian Jacquet – Olbia
• Lukas Klein – Ortisei
• Antoine Bellier – Ismaning
• Alejandro Tabilo – Brasilia

Lukas Klein was actually the highest-ranked player in the Ortisei field, but couldn’t sign up for the main draw as he was still in the top 150 at the time of the main draw cut-off (Challenger 50 eligibility rules). Alejandro Tabilo was a late sign-up for Brasilia and was the third-highest-ranked player in the field.

Wildcard Champions (singles)

• David Goffin (Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve)
• Aleksandar Kovacevic (Waco)
• Andy Murray (Aix-en-Provence)
• Jakub Mensik (Prague)
• Andy Murray (Surbiton)
• Andy Murray (Nottingham)
• Kei Nishikori (Palmas del Mar)
• Liam Draxl (Calgary)

David Goffin and Andy Murray (twice) needed the wildcards to get into the events as they were in the top 50 at the time and couldn’t enter them directly. That doesn’t count for Murray’s Aix-en-Provence run (top 50 players are allowed in at Challenger 175 events), but he and Aleksandar Kovacevic in Waco were still seeded at their respective events. Jakub Mensik, Kei Nishikori, and Liam Draxl were, if you may, proper wildcards ranked much lower than the other players in the tournament (more on the former World No.4’s run later)

Lucky Loser Champions

• Matteo Gigante – Tenerife (3)

Matteo Gigante lost to Giovanni Fonio 4-6 4-6 in the final qualifying round, but was fortunate to receive a second chance. But that’s as far as luck can take you, then you actually have to put in the work yourself. Gigante made full use of this opportunity and scored a key win over Bonadio 5-7 7-6 6-3 in the semifinals (despite having to play twice that day), before defeating Travaglia 6-3 6-2 for his maiden Challenger Tour title. He also became the first lucky loser champion at this level since Tommy Paul in Charlottesville in 2018.

Special Exempt Champions

• Thiago Seyboth Wild (Vina del Mar)
• Zsombor Piros (Oeiras)
• Hugo Gaston (Trieste)

To become a special exempt at a Challenger Tour event, you have to be competing at another event of this circuit by the time qualifying starts and therefore be unable to participate in it. In most cases, that simply means if you’re in the final of a Challenger that’s held on Sunday, you can seek a special exempt spot for next week. Thiago Seyboth Wild, Zsombor Piros, and Hugo Gaston all pulled this off by picking up back-to-back titles.

Longest super tie-breaker – 17-15

It was a high-profile quarterfinal in Bratislava as Andrey Golubev and Denys Molchanov defeated Ivan Liutarevich and Vladyslav Manafov 6-7 7-6 17-15. They first allowed their opponents to make it back from 5-9 down, then saved four match points of their own before eventually clinching the win on the 7th opportunity. Golubev/Molchanov went on to reach the final.

Double bagels (main draw only)

• Stefano Travaglia over Oscar Jose Guttierez – Tenerife (3) R2
• Seong-Chan Hong over Zachary Svajda –  Sarasota R1
• Jesper de Jong over Jelle Sels – Roseto degli Abruzzi R2
• Nick Hardt/Naoki Nakagawa over Jaime Prohens Munoz/Guillermo Rojas Pedron – Coquimbo R1
• Andrew Paulson/Michael Vrbensky over Juan Pablo Paz/Dan Alexandru Tomescu – Sibiu R1
• Tristan Lamasine over Manuel Guinard – Hamburg R1

Shenzhen (2) almost got a double bagel final, but Coleman Wong saved three match points from 0-6 0-5 0-40 down against James Duckworth. This list doesn’t include virtual double bagels (you win twelve games in a row, but the match scoreline is not 6-0 6-0) and it’s worth noting that Seong-Chan Hong also had that in his repertoire (3-6 6-0 6-0 win over Zsombor Piros in Troisdorf).

New category introduced – 175

Five Challenger 175 events (Phoenix, Aix-en-Provence, Cagliari, Bordeaux, Turin) were held in the second weeks of extended ATP 1000s (Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome). Players ranked in the top 10 still aren’t eligible to enter these, but those ranked between 11 and 50 are free to compete. It all led to some massive storylines like Andy Murray beating World No. 17 Tommy Paul in the Aix-en-Provence final or Ugo Humbert picking up two of these trophies. Things have never been bigger on the ATP Challenger Tour.

First unranked champion ever – Kei Nishikori

In 2021, Dominic Stricker won Lugano while ranked World No. 874, becoming the lowest-ranked Challenger champion. Guido Andreozzi beat him by 27 spots (World No. 901) in the last week of the 2022 Challenger season in Temuco. But Kei Nishikori made this record unbeatable with his Palmas del Mar run in 2023, grabbing a title right away after 19 months of inactivity.

Longest final ever – Luca Van Assche over Ugo Humbert in Pau, 3 hours and 56 minutes

Beating the previous record by 25 minutes? That’s huge. Somdev Devvarman and Daniel Nguyen were competing for the Winnetka title in 2015 for 3 hours and 31 minutes, which was equaled by Genaro Alberto Olivieri and Tomas Martin Etcheverry in Montevideo in 2022. But Luca Van Assche beating Ugo Humbert took that stat to 3 hours and 56 minutes , a record that might be extremely tough to surpass.

First final between former top 10 players in 17 years – Fabio Fognini over Roberto Bautista Agut

Fabio Fognini against Roberto Bautista Agut in a Challenger final ? Pretty crazy, especially considering that before this season, neither had even competed at an event at this level in about 10 years. It was the fifth-ever final between two former top 10 players, with three of them coming way back in 1981-82 and Guillermo Canas (who was returning from a doping ban) defeating Nicolas Lapentti in Montevideo in 2006. Fognini and Bautista Agut actually delivered one of the best matches of the year, too, the Italian saving two match points to take it 3-6 7-6 7-6.

Three titles in three weeks – Max Purcell

For the third straight year, a player managed to claim three titles in three consecutive weeks (Benjamin Bonzi and Tallon Griekspoor did it in 2021, Ben Shelton in 2022). Already an elite doubles player, Max Purcell decided to focus more on singles in 2023 and earned the instant reward by going 15-0 in the Indian Swing (Chennai/Bangalore/Pune). During that run, he saved two match points against Nicolas Moreno de Alboran in the Chennai final.

Won an ATP Tour and an ATP Challenger Tour title in the same year

• Roberto Carballes Baena (Marrakech ATP 250/Seville Challenger)
• Arthur Fils (Lyon ATP 250/Oeiras (2) Challenger)
• Ugo Humbert (Metz ATP 250/Cagliari and Bordeaux Challengers)

Ugo Humbert went 14-2 on the Challenger Tour, grabbing another final and one first-round exit. By winning that title on the main circuit in the last week of the regular season, he finished the year in the top 20. Fils had an 11-4 Challenger record and lost his last match at this level to Humbert in Bordeaux, just before picking up the trophy in Lyon. Carballes Baena played five Challengers in 2023, winning the title in Seville and losing in the opening round at the other four events!

Want more articles like this? Follow Last Word On Sports on MSN to see more of our exclusive tennis content.

More must-reads:

• Former Notre Dame QB heading back to school to play different sport
• 25 under-the-radar MLB free agents to keep an eye on
• The 'Highest-paid MLB players' quiz

• Members Login
• tennis tips
• prize money in tennis atp wta challenger insights 2023

Prize Money In Tennis: ATP, WTA & Challenger Insights 2023

So, you want to know about prize money in tennis? You are wondering how much elite players earn, and are curious about life as a professional. Is it a life of privilege for all, earning millions while playing the game we love? Well, wonder no more, the Bros have you covered with our detailed breakdown.

Our analysis will almost certainly make you envious, but it may surprise you for very different reasons too. Prize money in tennis varies wildly. From grand slam winning, multi-millionaires, to journeymen and fledgling pros, life on tour can mean very different things depending on your level.

Custom Fittings

Discover your perfect racket and string combo!

Tennis Prize Money at the Different Levels of the Game

The big names and the biggest stages on which they play are familiar to us all. And thanks to social media we have a window into their world beyond the court. Private jets, lucrative brand deals, and A-list friends are commonplace, but this is not real life for tennis players at every level. 

For the majority of players, life on tour is tough. Prize money seldom covers a player’s expenses and it may come as a surprise just how little some professionals earn. Here we explore each level of the professional game and assess what prize money is on offer.   

Prize Money on the ITF Tours 

Life in the paid ranks starts with the ITF Futures Tour for men and for female players, the ITF Women’s Tour. This level is the foundation from which many of today’s superstars have graduated.

It is home for many new professionals and elite juniors allowing them to earn official ranking ATP points as they begin their quest to join the higher echelons.

Prize money at this level is very modest with both men and ladies competing for tournament funds totaling between $15,000 and $25,000.

Winners take home anything between $2000 and $4000 while first-round losers earn a meager cheque relative to the expense associated with travel, accommodation, and all sundry costs. Expenses that can often include equipment with many players having no brand deals at this level. Consequently, early-round losses for ITF Futures players can often result in a net loss for that week.

And if you want a real-life example of how tough things are for players at this level, we dive into this – later in this article.

Prize Money on the Challenger Tours 

The next level for professional players is the ATP Challenger Tour and WTA Challenger Series for men and ladies respectively. Here the prize money increases significantly. But again, players are battling for prize pots that are a fraction of what is made available to the game’s elite. 

In 2021, ATP Challenger Tour players competed for prize money ranging from $36,680 to $156,240 per tournament, whereas their WTA counterparts contested similar purses. For tournament winners, on average, this equated to a payday of around $21,000 to go with the winner’s trophy.

Things will change dramatically in 2023 however. A huge cash injection being made by the ATP Tour is set to elevate prize money by 60% for Challenger Tour players. 

The ATP recently announced an increase in total prize money for the 2023 season which sees their total commitment reach $21.1m over 195 tournaments. Furthermore, they have simplified the tournament ranking system.

You may hear of tournaments being classified as ATP 125 or ATP 150 and have wondered if that has something to do with prize money. Well, it refers to ranking points. The winner of an ATP 125 event garners 125 ATP ranking points. Naturally, prize money tends to increase in correlation with the ranking points on offer. 

The availability of more ranking points attracts better players, better players mean bigger audiences. Therefore the caliber of sponsors improves and so the tournament coffers grow. Thus, we generally see a direct correlation between ranking points and the prize money on offer. 

And along with increasing prize money, the ATP Tour will also revamp its ranking point classifications for Challenger Tour level tennis. In 2023 players will compete in ATP 50, ATP 75, and ATP 100 tournaments with some of the more obscure classifications (ATP 90, ATP 110) now defunct.

Finally, 2023 also sees the introduction of three ‘premium’ ATP Challenger Tour events. Players will not only play for 175 ranking points but will also duel over a $220,000 prize fund per tournament – unprecedented at this level.

Clearly (and by their own admission), the ATP Tour comprehends the importance of tennis at this level and its responsibility to help incubate future superstars. With increased financial commitment the tour is attempting to attract burgeoning talent, making it a more desirable and watchable pursuit.

Prize Money on the Main Tours

As we have seen, tennis can be complicated when it comes to the many levels and associated prize money. And once we graduate to the main tours, the theme of tiers continues with tournaments ranging from ATP 250 to Grand Slam events.

In terms of how the various tournament levels translate into prize money, the below table gives a flavor of what players at most levels play for.

To illustrate the divide between levels, we can see that a winner of a Challenger 125 tournament roughly earns the same prize money as a first-round loser in an ATP 1000 tournament. Of course, you have to be pretty exceptional to be eligible for an ATP 1000 event, having ascended the ranks through ability, and in that respect, tennis can be considered a merit-based hierarchy.

Grand Slam Prize Money

The ultimate ambition for a tennis professional is to win one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. And while most players will say that tennis at this level is about history not prize money, the financial rewards are eye-watering as the below table shows.

Simply by reaching each of the four slams a player can earn over $250,000 and for many players that alone is a primary objective – to get through qualifying and potentially progress enough to help bankroll future months of travel, hotels, and coaching.

Sponsorship and more: Riches that transcend prize money

For those gifted enough to take home one of the most coveted trophies in tennis, the prize money is mere frosting on what is a very rich cake.

Emma Raducanu is the most recent example of how snagging a slam can transform a player’s profile and indeed bank balance. The young Brit pocketed a cool $2.5m for her 2021 US Open win, but that figure has been eclipsed many times thanks to a queue of blue-chip sponsors eager to capitalize on her success. A list that includes Tiffany, British Airways, Nike, Evian and Porsche. 

Additionally, Emma’s sponsors also include Wilson Tennis. She uses their Blade frame and if you are curious about her racket of choice we have a comprehensive resource dedicated to the Blade line.

Raducanu reportedly earns north of $9m each year from her portfolio of sponsors, a figure that dwarfs her 2022 on-court earnings of $697,000. A theme that is best illustrated if we study Roger Federer’s lifetime earnings.

During his career Roger Federer used his Wilson RF97 to earn over $130m earned from prize money alone. However, it is believed that Roger’s ‘total’ lifetime earnings comfortably surpasses $1bn, garnered from endorsement deals, lucrative appearance fees and merchandise sales. Proof indeed, that grand slam success is only the start – a gateway to a world that Futures players can only dream about.

And if this was not enough, the eight most successful players at the season-end (also the year’s highest earners) qualify for the season-ending ATP and WTA Finals tournaments. These limited field events see players from each respective tour battle for prize money totalling $14.7m for the men and $5m for the ladies.

If you still have an appetite for yet more wealth, there are always exhibition matches and bespoke tournaments such as the Laver Cup. It is not uncommon for elite players to command north of $500,000 for personal appearances and for those selected for the Laver Cup, they can pocket between $150,000 and $250,000 depending on the result.

For the majority of players, the struggle is real 

Media outlets tend to focus primarily on major tournaments, narrowing the public’s focus exclusively upon the higher echelons of tennis. The reality however, is stark and for every Emma or Roger, there are countless players who routinely lose money in their quest to play professional tennis.

Serving for the Wimbledon title is pressure but playing to merely pay this week’s bills and to travel next week is something else entirely. Expenses (per season) for a traveling professional can range from $40,000 for those on the strictest of budgets, to $200,000 for players electing to take their coach and/or physical trainer on tour. Figures that few lower-tier players can cover without winning consistently.

Recently, BBC Sport interviewed Algerian WTA player Ines Ibbou, who highlighted the struggle faced by players outside of the top 200. A world where prize money fails to cover all expenses and luxuries like free rackets and strings are non-existent. A sobering read that highlights the huge gulf between aspiring pros and the established elite.

Prize Money In Tennis and the Gender Debate 

No discussion of prize money in tennis would be complete without considering the topic of gender inequality in tennis – a perennial hot topic.

Both women and men enjoy the same pay scale when it comes to the Grand Slams, albeit that was a protracted process with Wimbledon becoming the last slam to invoke parity in 2007, decades after the US Open adopted this policy in 1973. But beyond the major tournaments, there still exists a significant disparity in prize money between both sexes.

Even though tennis has the lowest gender pay gap of all professional sports, men still earn 34% more prize money on average than their female counterparts. Of course, many argue WTA players consistently play less tennis (a maximum of 3-sets) compared to men who can play a maximum of 5-sets (in Grand Slams only), but nonetheless, it will remain a contentious issue until the gap narrows even further.

Prize money in tennis: The Big Questions 

Tennis is fundamentally a business competing for the interest of sports fans in general. Naturally, elite players who generate attention and attract the biggest audiences monopolize the prize money ranks. But nonetheless, it still feels as though the gulf between elite-level players and new professionals is disproportionate – notwithstanding the disparity in prize money between genders. 

It would be criminal for a player with genuine talent to leave tennis due to affordability issues, and this is not just the Bros opinion. 

Novak Djokovic and fellow pro, Vasek Pospisil, launched a players-only council in 2020 with the remit of giving a voice to and being supportive of, players at all levels. The premise was not a redistribution of wealth, more so the creation of a body that is more aware and supportive of lower-tier tennis – notably to help create sponsorship opportunities for more players. 

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) as it is called was not widely accepted, however. Considered by many to be a breakaway and divisive faction it has yet to receive widespread support, even though its intentions appear credible. 

And so the existing dynamic and the same questions remain about an imbalance in the sport and how best to address it. But one thing is true, the rewards for those who make it are life-changing and available to all, providing you have the required tools to reach the summit. 

Want more awesome articles on the pro game?

Here are some you might like:

• The Best Tennis Players of All Time (Top 10 Male + Female)
• The Longest Tennis Rallies Ever
• Top 15 Tennis Upsets of All Time
• Why Do Tennis Players Grunt?

Enjoy exploring!

41 Lessons · $49.00

Doubles Tactics

Supercharge Your Doubles With TheTennisBros.com

10 Lessons · $35.00

The Art of Volleying

Become clinical at the net with our in depth volleying walkthroughs!

35 Lessons · $49.00

Singles Tactics

Outsmart your opponent with superior tactics! Our strategies can be quickly implemented for instant results!

We save you time and money by doing the painful research process for you!

No more frustration in your game, due to your equipment failing you!

Start playing the best tennis of your life and win more matches!

Get Our Free Guide to Supercharging Your Tennis Equipment!

Sign up to receive your Free Guide to Supercharging Your Tennis Equipment , straight to your inbox!

Explore more

Sep 28, 2023 • Pro Tennis Tournaments

French Open Prize Money (A Timeline)

In 2022 the French Open men’s and women’s champions walked away with €2.2 million each, with the runner-up pocketing €1.1 million. Not bad for a fortnight’s work! However, with a huge 12.3% increase, 2023 topped the bill with a total pot of €49.6 million. Roland Garros has always had a…

Sep 21, 2023 • Pro Tennis Rules Tactics

Medical Timeouts in Tennis: What Are the Rules?

Tennis can be a brutal sport to play, especially at the professional level. Performance players put themselves through a lot on the court, fighting for every point tooth and nail. This inevitably leads to injuries, some of which are too painful to treat after a match has finished. In these…

Find Out How to Qualify for the Challenger Tour – You Won’t Believe What It Takes!

The Challenger Tour is a professional tennis tour that is part of the ATP Tour and is one of the highest levels of competitive tennis outside of the Grand Slam tournaments The Challenger Tour is an excellent opportunity for aspiring professional tennis players to develop their skills and earn valuable points towards their ATP rankings However, qualifying for the Challenger Tour is no easy task and requires dedication, hard work, and talent.

The first step in qualifying for the Challenger Tour is to have an ATP ranking of at least 250 This ranking is based on a player’s results from the past 12 months, with more points awarded for higher-level tournaments A player’s ATP ranking is determined by the total number of points they have accumulated in the past year, so it is important to consistently compete in tournaments to stay competitive.

In addition to having an ATP ranking of at least 250, players must also meet the age requirements The Challenger Tour is open to players aged 14-23, which allows young players to gain valuable experience and develop their skills before competing in higher-level tournaments.

The next step is to gain acceptance into the Challenger Tour Tournament organizers select players based on their ATP rankings, as well as their potential to succeed in the tournament This means that players must demonstrate their ability to compete at a high level in order to be selected.

Once accepted into the Challenger Tour, players must compete in a number of qualifying tournaments in order to earn a spot in the main draw These qualifying tournaments are usually held a few weeks before the main tournament and are open to players who have an ATP ranking of at least 250 The number of qualifying spots available for each tournament varies, so it is important to check with the tournament organizers for more information.

Finally, players must be prepared for the tournament itself The Challenger Tour is a high level of competition and requires players to be in top physical and mental shape Players should practice hard and focus on their game in order to be successful.

Qualifying for the Challenger Tour is no easy task and requires dedication, hard work, and talent However, those who are successful in qualifying will be rewarded with the opportunity to compete at one of the highest levels of competitive tennis outside of the Grand Slam tournaments.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Power Rankings: Valero Texas Open

Power Rankings

Change Text Size

No matter which variation of the Texas two-step that you prefer, you still need somewhere to go when you move. In this version presented by the PGA TOUR, the shift is 175 miles west of Houston to this week’s Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.

For the explanation of why the field is larger than usual, how TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course is set up and more, continue reading below.

The Valspar Championship ended up hosting 152, while the Texas Children’s Houston Open went off with 144. The modification was made to increase playing time for the category that reorders for the first time at the conclusion of the Valero.

Included in the customary collection of perks reserved for the winner is the last spot in the first major of the season. That, of course, is the Masters next week. Currently, 30 qualifiers are in the field at TPC San Antonio, including Corey Conners, who is defending his second title at Valero.

Quite simply, Conners was built for TPC San Antonio, and vice versa. The stock par 72 is a premium, ball-striker’s layout. Because it tips at 7,438 yards, distance off the tee is a valuable bonus. Last year’s field averaged 72.092, so much adjacent to the bull’s-eye for the setup.

Accuracy is imperative given that the first layer of rough is 2.5 inches tall. Beyond that is the kind of four-inch hay that weekend warriors without forecaddies, cameras and a crowd would lament after driving into it, “I hope I can find it.”

As usual, the entire course is overseeded and the combination Bermuda-Poa greens are governed to 11½ feet on the Stimpmeter. Speed on the putting surfaces needs to be slower than average due to the winds of the Texas Hill Country.

After a teaser of a beautifully calm opening round, the breezes will freshen on Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s forecast is a mixed bag that includes quieter wind and the strongest threat for rain during any round. Daytime temperatures should rise into the 70s throughout.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider SUNDAY: Points and Payouts; Medical Extensions; Qualifiers; Reshuffle

* Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

Rob Bolton is a Golfbet columnist for the PGA TOUR. The Chicagoland native has been playing fantasy golf since 1994, so he was just waiting for the Internet to catch up with him. Follow Rob Bolton on Twitter .

MORE SECTIONS

• Dear Deidre
• Visual Stories

MORE FROM THE SUN

• Newsletters
• Deliver my newspaper
• Sun Vouchers
• The Sun Digital Newspaper

Tour Championship 2024 LIVE RESULTS: Ronnie O’Sullivan facing Mark Williams in crunch final – latest snooker updates

• Rocket reaches final
• O'Sullivan wins frame 11
• Wilson takes lead in ninth frame
• Jon Boon , Features writer
• Updated : 22:30, 6 Apr 2024

RONNIE O'SULLIVAN will take on Mark Williams in the crunch Tour Championship final in Manchester.

O'Sullivan charged into the final after a 10-7 victory over Gary Wilson in his semi-final.

While Williams held off a spirited Mark Allen fightback to win 10-5 to set up the O'Sullivan clash.

• Session times : 1pm and 7pm
• FREE live stream: ITVX / ITV Sport
• TV channel: ITV4
• Explainer : Tour Championship full schedule
• What is the prize money 2024?

Join us for The Sun World Snooker Championship Preview Night featuring Judd Trump and Mark Allen

Despite making it to the final, Mark Williams has revealed he loves playing pool and is focusing on that more.

"I probably enjoy playing Chinese 8 ball rather than snooker, to be honest.

"I just want to play more, I’d like to play more tournaments this year to see if I can get any better."

He then went on to add: "I’m definitely not retiring, but a lot more pool is on the horizon for me."

Williams reacts

I did a great break there really [to win match]. "As good as any I did in the whole match. I just knew I had to make a one-frame visit the way the match was going. "I try to get my practice at the venues. I've been playing like that all season. Some of the people have played unbelievable snooker against me this season. "If I had a pick to play in the final, it would be O'Sullivan. He's the best player by a mile at a packed venue." Mark Williams ITV Sport

Allen 5-10 Williams

The wait is over!

A break of 75 seals the win for Williams, who crosses over the line to the final.

It was an epic fightback from Allen, who certainly added some respectability to proceedings.

Allen 5-9 Williams

It really is game on here.

That's five straight frames from Allen, who is on fire and starting to believe he's in this.

The spectators are getting value for money here.

Allen 4-9 Williams

Allen sinks the black, but pots the white.

It doesn’t matter.

He wins yet another frame after amassing 81 points. Williams continues to wait for that elusive frame.

Allen 3-9 Williams

Williams has had a wobble here, and the fightback begins.

Allen has now won three on the bounce, as we break in play.

Could the most unlikely comeback ever happen?

Allen 2-9 Williams

Well, well, well.

Some mistakes slipping into Williams' game, who misses a few easy shots.

Allen takes advantage and adds another frame to his score.

Allen 1-9 Williams

Mark Williams will just have to wait that little bit longer.

Mark Allen has finally got a score on the board, winning the 10th frame.

It's surely too little too late?

Allen 0-9 Williams

That's an astonishing break!

141 gives Williams a 9-0 lead in this astonishing display.

He is just one frame away from the final.

Are we all set?

Mark Williams is just two frames away from a final berth.

Will the Welshman clean up in this evening session?

Or can Mark Allen achieve the mother of all comebacks?

Lots to answer for from 7pm.

Happy Williams

Mark Williams can be very happy with his display.

He looks destined for the final.

Now we wait

The second semi-final resumes at 7pm.

Mark Allen would have to complete the most epic comeback we've ever seen to defeat a rampant and resurgent Mark Williams.

The Welshman looks destined to meet Rocket Ronnie in Sunday's final.

Allen 0-8 Williams

Well it looked for the world that Allen had a chance to win his first frame of the day, but it wasn't to be.

The Northern Irishman had a chance to pot the pink in order to set himself up for a finish, but unbelievably hit the ball OFF THE TABLE .

Another frame for Williams as session one comes to a close.

Allen 0-7 Williams

We have just one frame to play before session one comes to an end and Williams is looking in as strong of a position as he possibly could be.

He leads 7-0 as we head into the final frame - Allen must pull something out of the bag.

Allen 0-6 Williams

A much much tighter affair, but it still falls in favour of Williams.

Allen came close to winning his first frame, but a blue hanging over the edge of the pocket was the difference.

Dominance from Williams.

Allen 0-5 Williams

It's a Williams runaway train.

Allen is almost out of sight and you would imagine Williams has half an eye on that final with Ronnie O'Sullivan tomorrow.

It would take something special for Allen to win this now.

Allen 0-4 Williams

Mark Williams is looking so assured as he wraps up a fourth consecutive frame 124-0 with a 105 break.

Allen is struggling to even visit the table and he can't find much when he does.

It's a serious uphill battle for the Northern Irishman from hear on out.

Allen 0-3 Williams

WOW! A superb showing from Mark Williams!

He puts 123 unanswered points on the table and wins the third frame.

It's not looking positive for Mark Allen he falls 3-0 behind.

Allen 0-2 Williams

Williams wins again, but it's a much tighter affair this time around.

The Welshman fought off Allen to win it despite his opponent tabling 50 points.

Allen 0-1 Williams

A dominant show of experience from Williams in the first frame.

He wins it with a comfortable scoreline of 88-4.

The Manchester crowd were full of applause for the Welshman. 1-0.

Allen 0-0 Williams

Williams is 58-4 up as things stand in the first frame.

It's not looking good for Allen. whose only points came from a Williams foul.

The Welshman is in full control of this first frame.

Here they come...

Williams and Allen have come out to the table ready for their first session in a crunch semi-final.

Action is expected to get underway imminently.

On your Marks

Mark Williams and Mark Allen are familiar foes facing each other 22 times in their professional careers.

The last time they met was only in February during the Players Championship with Allen coming up trumps in that battle.

His 6-3 victory may give him confidence for today's head-to-head.

While the Northern Irishman is also ranked higher in the world rankings than his Welsh opponent.

Williams is currently considered World No.8 while Allen is slightly higher in the rankings at World No.5.

Fast approaching

Just under an hour until the battle of the Marks begins to decide who will face Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final tomorrow.

Mark Williams and Mark Allen are expected to take to the table around 1pm to play out the first eight frames of the tie.

The pair will then have a short break before returning to finish their clash this evening.

Stay tuned here for all the action.

• Sport Live Blogs
• Ronnie O'Sullivan