What is a Protected Ranking and when can a player apply for one?
A Protected Ranking also known as a special ranking is a provision in tennis that allows players who have suffered an extended absence from the sport to more easily qualify for events.
The ATP and WTA Tours have slightly different rules when it comes to Protected Rankings.
For ATP Tour events or other men’s tournaments, an eligible player could use a protected ranking calculated over the three months after they suffered an injury.
A player is permitted to petition the ATP CEO or his designee for an Entry Protection when he is physically injured and does not compete in any tennis event for at least six months.
This written petition must be received by ATP Tour officials within six months of his last tournament.
This Protected Ranking entitles the petitioner to a position in the ATP Rankings, as determined by the player’s average ATP Rankings position during the first three months of his injury.
The Entry Protection may be used be for entry into a main draw or qualifying competition or for special exempt consideration.
The Protected Ranking cannot not be used to obtain a seeding, or for Lucky Loser consideration nor can a player use such a ranking to gain entry into the ATP Finals.
The Protected Ranking remains in effect for either the first nine tournaments that the player competes in using the Entry Protection (excluding wild cards and entries as a Direct Acceptance with his current position in the ATP Rankings) or for the period up to nine months beginning with the first tennis event that the player competes in, whichever of these conditions occurs first will take precedence.
In a case where a player is physically injured and does not compete in any tennis event for a period of 12 months or longer, the entry protection shall be in effect for the first 12 singles tournaments and the first twelve 12 doubles tournaments that the player competes in using a Protected ranking or for the period up to 12 months beginning with the first tennis event, including Special Events – Exhibitions, that the player competes in, again whichever occurs first will determine how that is ruled.
Players are not entitled to use Protected Rankings for suspensions of any sort.
WTA Tour Protected Rankings
WTA Tour players see their Protected Rankings fixed as the same as it was at the time when the injury was first suffered.
Women’s tour player can use this Protected Ranking for eight tournaments in a year, or 12 if they miss more than a year.
Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka, and Angelique Kerber and others used Protected Rankings to enter the Australian Open in 2024.