
World No.5 Roger Federer has been accused by a senior European tennis official of abusing his position on the ATP Player Council to change the rules and protect his ATP Ranking.
Dirk Hordorff, vice president of the German Tennis Federation, suggested that the former World No.1 used his position on the ATP Player Council to drive a change. The ATP adjusted their rankings calculations earlier this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic that caused a halt in competitive play. In November it was confirmed by the ATP that a player’s position will be based on a best of 24-month scenario, which is an increase of two months.
Read also
The Swiss Maestro has been a beneficiary of this change, as he has only played one tournament in 2020 due to injury but is still ranked fifth in the World. Had the change not taken effect, his ranking would have dropped to outside the Top 20.
"Roger Federer simply changed the ranking method to protect himself. It is irresponsible and quite simply incorrect,” Hordorff told Tennisnet.com’s “Quiet, please” podcast. “In my opinion, he takes advantage of his position on the Players’ Council. It must nevertheless be said that without the change in ranking system, Roger Federer would not be in the top 50.”
“That the ATP Finals, which is the 19th tournament of the year anyway, will stay there for two years? That’s perverse.”
Hordorff went on to state that he sees no logical reason in the decision to allow the ATP Finals to count twice as part of the rankings calculations.
"It’s very strange the player council in the days before the Masters final in London starts supporting a rule change that this event counts twice for the ranking,” he said. “Especially with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, two participants who are members of this council.’
“I can’t see any logical reason for this decision and can’t see that they represent the majority of the players.”
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- Vacherot is Mongasque, rather than Swiss. The tournament was Swiss :DTrwd7702-11-2026
- After a couple decades traveling to IIHF tourneys overseas... our family is done with it... and I will not be the only one!! Bad enough the NHL allows Ovachenko (a Putin Supporter and Campaigner) to live and play in the USA. Let's not forget the STATE SPONSORED RUSSIAN DOPING PROGRAMS still in effect today.
mandoist31-10-2026 - Osaka's mental state apparently does not allow her to reach any more Quarter Finals? I mean, she doesn't really have the time for tennis with all the pre-planning that must go into her 12 year-old "fashion" goals.
mandoist29-10-2026 - With her money one would think she could afford a better team of Psychiatrists?
mandoist29-10-2026 - Boss move, Sinner !Rapunzel27-10-2026
- Apparently still refusing to seek 'help' ...and still playing Dress-Up like a 10 year-old.
mandoist27-10-2026 - Lena... Takin' care of business
mandoist25-10-2026 - Can you please stop publishing this nonsense? Stick to Tennis.
mandoist25-10-2026 - Does Sinner need that 4.5 mil? I doubt it. He can make that with three modelling gigs!😅🤣Rapunzel21-10-2026
- Did "People Magazine" purchase this website? This nonstop storyline is bullshit.
mandoist21-10-2026







