The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) is the governing body of professional men’s tennis globally. The ATP is responsible for controlling the annual tennis season by creating a circuit of tournaments that are allotted to particular levels or tiers based on their stature and the ranking points that they have to offer. The most basic of these tiers is the ATP 250.
The tournaments that fall under ATP 250 today were called ATP World Series between 1990 to 1999, ATP International between 2000 to 2008, and ATP World Tour 250 between 2009 to 2018. In 2019, these tournaments were referred as ATP 250.
The main draw of an ATP 250 event can have 24 to 48 singles players, whereas a doubles draw can have 16 pairs. The progression of an ATP 250 knockout draw will have the following stages: Round of 32, Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals. The winner gets 250 points whereas the runner-up gets 165.
The ATP has organized over 50 ATP 250 events in different cities ever since it’s inception. As of 2024, a total of 38 ATP 250 events are played. 13 of them take place on clay, five on grass, and the remaining on hard courts. The prize money of ATP 250 events varies according to the draw size and is usually between the range of $200,000 to $700,000, with only a handful crossing the higher end.
Thomas Muster has won 26 ATP 250 titles which is a record tally as of 2024. The next best is Roger Federer with 25 ATP 250 titles. In doubles, Mile Bryan holds the record for winning 46 ATP 250 titles.
