How is the start date of ATP and WTA calendars calculated?

[lldhub]

This 2017 year the first of January was on Sunday.
The same day or at most the following day, Monday 2nd of January, was the natural start date for all the first tournaments in ATP and WTA.
In ATP Brisbane, Doha and Chennai were played during week 1 of 2017
In WTA Brisbane, Shenzhen and Auckland were also played during week 1

Taking a look at the next years calendars, this is what happens:

In 2018 the 1st of January will be on Monday
In 2019 the 1st of January will be on Tuesday
In 2020 the first of January will be on Wednesday
In 2021 the first of January will be on Friday

and so on, the 1st of January shifting usually one day compared to the previous year.

I am wondering: would the ATP and WTA tournaments start always on Monday of the first full week, or they would start the 1st of January no matter if it happens by midweek?

For instance: what will happen in 2021: would Brisbane start on Friday or the following Monday, the 4th of January?
What are the criteria that are used to set the starting date of ATP and WTA calendars?

 

[Kieran]

This 2017 year the first of January was on Sunday.
The same day or at most the following day, Monday 2nd of January, was the natural start date for all the first tournaments in ATP and WTA.
In ATP Brisbane, Doha and Chennai were played during week 1 of 2017
In WTA Brisbane, Shenzhen and Auckland were also played during week 1

Taking a look at the next years calendars, this is what happens:

In 2018 the 1st of January will be on Monday
In 2019 the 1st of January will be on Tuesday
In 2020 the first of January will be on Wednesday
In 2021 the first of January will be on Friday

and so on, the 1st of January shifting usually one day compared to the previous year.

I am wondering: would the ATP and WTA tournaments start always on Monday of the first full week, or they would start the 1st of January no matter if it happens by midweek?

For instance: what will happen in 2021: would Brisbane start on Friday or the following Monday, the 4th of January?
What are the criteria that are used to set the starting date of ATP and WTA calendars?

I remember a couple of seasons ago Rafa won his first match of the new year - on the 30 December of the previous year. I suppose they look at "the first Sunday of the year" as finals day for the first event, depending on whether the first Sunday is not also the first or second day of the year?

It's a good question, though. Some of the tournaments are stickies in the calendar: French Open is always the last week in May-first week in June. Wimbledon has moved back a week in the schedules and now will always be the first two weeks in July, but again, this accounts for discrepancies in the dates, but generally they try asking themselves that way. This year it starts on the first Monday, which is the 3rd.

The rest of the calandar outside the slams is dependent upon finding a slot in the year, which is already fairly crowded...

 

[tennisville]

It is the Monday of the first full week. So in 2021, it will start of 4th of January.

But some start on the sunday before the first monday as well like Brisbane

 

[Kieran]

And welcome to the forum!

 

[lldhub]

Thanks for your welcome and hello to everybody!

Then I suppose, but it is just a speculation, that in 2020, when the 1st of January will happen on Wednesday, they will not have enough time to complete the tournaments during the first week, so probably the tournaments will begin on Monday 30 of December. It is hard to believe that the tournaments will start the following week, on the 6th of January.

 

[Kieran]

Thanks for your welcome and hello to everybody!

Then I suppose, but it is just a speculation, that in 2020, when the 1st of January will happen on Wednesday, they will not have enough time to complete the tournaments during the first week, so probably the tournaments will begin on Monday 30 of December. It is hard to believe that the tournaments will start the following week, on the 6th of January.

Yeah, that's it. In 2014, Doha began on 30th December. I looked up Rafa's schedule that year, to see if that was the year:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/players/rafael-nadal/n409/player-activity?year=2014

But in 2015, Doha began on the 5th January, presumably because the previous Monday - 29th December - was deemed too early?

 

[lldhub]

Yeah, that's it. In 2014, Doha began on 30th December. I looked up Rafa's schedule that year, to see if that was the year:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/players/rafael-nadal/n409/player-activity?year=2014

But in 2015, Doha began on the 5th January, presumably because the previous Monday - 29th December - was deemed too early?

You are right, I checked both 2014 and 2015 Rafa's schedules.
2020 will probably be like 2014, while 2021 season will probably start on 4th January (Monday).
Presumably, as you said, the 29th December is too early, and I also notice that both 2014 and 2015 years Doha started on Monday. Therefore it seems that the ATP can afford to start the 4th and even the 5th, but not the 6th of January: they are prepared to waste up to 4 days, not more.

2014 was just the case where, rather than starting the 6th of January, they preferred to start the 30th of December.
2015 was the case where, rather than starting the 29th of January, they chose to delay until the 5th of January.

:clap