What’s a Grand Slam vs. a Masters 1000 (vs. 500, 250)?

Pro tennis runs on a tier system. Tournaments are ranked by importance — and by how many ranking points the winner gets. More points = bigger title = bigger deal.

Let’s break it down:

1. Grand Slams = The Majors

There are only four Grand Slams, and they’re the crown jewels of the sport: Australian Open, French Open (Roland Garros), Wimbledon, and the US Open

Winning a Slam earns you 2,000 ranking points, the most of any tournament. (For reference: winning just one Slam can be enough to put you inside the ATP or WTA top 20 — instantly.)

These events also come with the most prize money, most fans, and the most pressure. And men play best-of-five sets — nowhere else does.

2. Masters 1000 or WTA 1000s = The Next Tier Down

Masters 1000 are the top-level ATP events below the Slams. The winner gets 1,000 ranking points. They usually feature all the top-ranked players and are mandatory for many.

There are nine Masters 1000 tournaments: Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Toronto/Montreal, Cincinnati, Shanghai, Paris

Women’s tennis has WTA 1000s — same point level, just not called “Masters.” — and includes many of the same tournaments as the men.

3. ATP / WTA 500s

Mid-tier events with solid fields. The winner earns 500 ranking points — still a big jump in the rankings, especially for players outside the top 30.

These are often tournaments where rising players can make their move — or where top players fine-tune their games before the Slams.

4. ATP / WTA 250s

These are the entry-level tour events, often played by younger players, wild cards, or those looking to build ranking points and confidence.

The winner gets 250 ranking points — not nothing, but not enough on its own to make a top-20 splash. (Still, stack a few of these and you’re climbing fast.)

👂 Where You’ll Hear It

“He just won his first Grand Slam.”
Translation: He won one of the four biggest tournaments in the sport.
🎓 Think of it like winning an Oscar, a Pulitzer, or getting your startup acquired — it’s a career-defining moment, and everyone in tennis dreams of it.

“This is the last Masters 1000 before the French Open.”
Translation: It’s a top-tier tournament (1,000 points) and a major warm-up for Roland Garros.

“She picked up her first WTA 500 title last week.”
Translation: A huge step in her career — big points, big confidence boost.

“He’s been playing a bunch of 250s lately.”
Translation: He’s either working his way up or trying to get back into form.

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