Medvedev's latest madness: proposes that only Grand Slams and Masters 1000 count for the ranking

Carlos Navarro | 26 Feb 2026 | 00.52

Has Medvedev gone crazy? Source: Getty

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Daniil Medvedev has always been a guy unafraid to express whatever comes to his mind. This, of course, translates in many ways: to what happens on the court, where we have seen him say downright absurd things (although it seems he has been tempering them over time) and exhibit all kinds of behaviors... but also to what simmers off the court, with legendary statements, unabashed criticism (from others and himself), and the occasional proposal that will surely leave many fans scratching their heads.

The Russian, who has already reached the quarterfinals of ATP Dubai 2026, revealed his latest crazy idea after his second match in Emirati lands, a proposal with a clear goal: to avoid the saturation generated by the current schedule for tennis players and prevent the high number of injuries plaguing the current ATP circuit. His idea, although quite challenging to implement due to logistics and contracts, would entail reducing the circuit to something more akin to Formula 1, a closed hunting ground where mobility in both directions is, at the very least, hard to imagine.

What exactly does the Russian propose? A closed circuit of 4 Grand Slams and 11 Masters 1000: only these tournaments would award points for the ATP ranking. What would happen to the rest of the events, and what would those players who don't make it into this 'premium' calendar play? Medvedev acknowledges the challenges and the near impossibility of his small revolution, but insists it would be his way to alleviate the heavy physical burden on the players.

Medvedev shared details of his revolutionary idea and made it clear that, although truly complicated, it is the only way to bring relief to the circuit

"This is the only way to make the circuit shorter. However, this will never happen because of licenses, and the ATP won't have enough money to buy all of them.", points out the Muscovite, proposing that it be the ATP to 'free' smaller tournaments through the purchase of their licenses. "The other tournaments won't say, 'Great, I'm out,' because they would lose money. It's a business. Right now, with the way the ATP is structured, this will never change, at least not in this era while I'm playing," said Daniil.

Additionally, Medvedev took the liberty of directly addressing fans who advocate for players to skip non-mandatory events, reminding them that every week is an opportunity to earn points and improve your position on the circuit. "I would make the circuit consist of 4 Grand Slams and 11 Masters 1000. The rest of the tournaments, I might keep them, but without distributing points for the ranking," Daniil cited Holger Rune and his Achilles tendon rupture in Stockholm as one of those situations that, under his proposal, could be avoided.

"Everyone was saying that maybe I didn't have to play that tournament, but if I wanted to play in Turin, I had to do it, even though it's not a mandatory event. Last year, I played seven tournaments in a row. Was I obligated to do so? No, but I played poorly at the start of the season, so I could catch 100 points here, 200 points there. If there were no points, the decision would be simpler.". And you, what do you think? Do you believe it is a viable idea, or has Medvedev gone completely crazy?

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La última locura de Medvedev: propone que solo los Grand Slams y Masters 1000 valgan para el ranking