Questions for details on how tournaments work and qualifying.

[CourtlyLove]

So, I understand what qualifying is. In a draw of 128 players at a major...let's use Roland Garros as an example, a certain number of players make it automatically--those ranked in the top 100, correct? I know the cut-off for a ranking for automatic entry is usually a few weeks before the tournament in question.

Then 16(?) qualifiers (out of 128) will make it to the first round of the main draw. Typically, they need to win three matches, usually in three or four days, in qualifying, to get into the main draw. If they lose in the final round of qualifying there's a chance they might be a "lucky loser" and replace an injured main draw player.

But my main question involves..who determines who plays Qualies? For a major, I'd imagine that every non top-100 player in the world would kill to play Qualies. Who determines who gets into the qualies? I'd imagine someone ranked in the top 200 probably has a pretty good shot, but what about beyond that? Then of course, there are also players who receive wild cards into qualifying. Tournaments at every level have qualifying...how do we figure out who gets to play Qualies at a major?

 

[Cormorant]

The qualifiers have 32 seeding spots just like the main draw, and I think the rest is determined by ranking and wild cards.

 

[Max G.]

You determine who enters into qualifying pretty much the same way that you determine who gets into a tournament! The highest-ranked [some number] of players get in directly, and the tournament director gets some number of wildcards to give to whoever.

 

[CourtlyLove]

You determine who enters into qualifying pretty much the same way that you determine who gets into a tournament! The highest-ranked [some number] of players get in directly, and the tournament director gets some number of wildcards to give to whoever.

That makes sense. Might it often be the case, then, that qualies at MS1000s are at a higher level than at a major?

 

[Max G.]

Yes. For example, at last years Paris Masters event, the top seed in the qualifying event was Bernard Tomic who was ranked 42 at the time, the last seed was Lukas Rosol (ranked 74 at the time), and the last direct acceptance was Teymuraz Gabashvili, ranked 126. (For reference, at this year's French Open Qualifying, the top seed is ranked 89, Teymuraz Gabashvili is seeded #32 and is ranked #144. Not sure who the lowest-ranked direct acceptance is.)

 

[stringertom]

I've seen Futures qualie draws where the final direct acceptance is determined by a random draw...let's say it's a 64-draw and players 55 through 70 have the same amount of points. Six players will not get in and it's all decided by a blind draw.

 

[cluckcluck]

...the tournament director gets some number of wildcards to give to whoever.

If there are American players who are hoping for a wildcard, chances are, the ones that went through USTA backed academies will get the WCs.

 

[Fee]

Qualifying for slams, ATP tour events/Masters, Challengers, and Futures are all slightly different because they have different governing bodies and rule books. Best way to answer your question is to read their rulebooks.

ATP: http://www.atpworldtour.com/Corporate/Rulebook.aspx

ITF: http://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/info-for-players/rules-and-forms.aspx

Slams: http://www.itftennis.com/media/107012/107012.pdf