The Tennis Masters Series is a group of nine tournaments that form the second-highest echelon in men's tennis. Each event is held annually, and a win at one of these events is worth 500 ranking points. When the Association of Tennis Professionals, led by Hamilton Jordan, began running the men's tour in 1990, the directors designated the top nine tournaments, outside of the Grand Slam events, as "Super Nine" events.[31] These eventually became the Tennis Masters Series. In November at the end of the tennis year, the world's top eight players compete in the Tennis Masters Cup, a tournament with a rotating locale. It is currently held in Shanghai, China, and will move to London in 2009.[32]
In 2009, the Tennis Masters Series will undergo several changes. The series will be renamed again, this time as the "1,000 Series," a reference to the number of points the champion of each event will garner. (All other tournaments will have their ranking points adjusted proportionately.)[33] The Tennis Masters Cup, in addition to its relocation, will be renamed the ATP World Tour Final. However, Shanghai will host a new 1,000 Series event. The Monte Carlo and Hamburg events were originally downgraded; however, the Monte Carlo tournament was eventually granted 1,000 Series status, with the exception being that the event would not be mandatory.[33] The ATP also plans to be more stringent in its examination of players who withdraw from 1,000 Series events. Each player who withdraws will be examined by a medical panel. The ATP plans to fine, and even suspend, players who disregard these rules.[34]
[edit] Current Tennis Masters Series tournaments
| Period | Tournament | Location | Surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | Pacific Life Open | Indian Wells, California, U.S. | Hard |
| March-April | Sony Ericsson Open | Key Biscayne, Florida, U.S. | Hard |
| April | Masters Series Monte Carlo | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay |
| May | Internazionali d'Italia | Rome, Italy | Clay |
| May | Masters Series Hamburg | Hamburg, Germany | Clay |
| August | Rogers Cup | Montreal/Toronto, Canada | Hard |
| August | Western & Southern Financial Group Masters | Cincinnati, U.S. | Hard |
| October | Mutua Madrileña Masters | Madrid, Spain | Hard (indoor) |
| October-November | BNP Paribas Masters | Paris, France | Carpet (indoor) |
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