Why the ATP Tour is Committed to a Sustainable Future

Let’s face it: tennis might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about fighting climate change. It’s more about grand slams, thrilling rallies, and, let’s not forget, those perfectly-timed, dramatic towel wipes between points. But what if we told you that every ace, every forehand, and every fan’s journey to the stadium has an impact far beyond the court? The ATP Tour, like every major global event, leaves a carbon footprint.

But behind the scenes, the ATP Tour has been working on a game plan to make tennis more sustainable.

Let’s dive into how the ATP is stepping up its sustainability game—and how it’s looking to win, not just for its players and fans, but for the planet.

The ATP Tour

The ATP Tour is the world’s leading circuit for men’s professional tennis, showcasing top-ranked players across the globe, like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Carlos Alcaraz. Every year, the tour spans over 30 countries, featuring more than 60 tournaments, including the prestigious ATP Masters 1000 events, such as the Indian Wells Masters, the Monte-Carlo Masters, and the Miami Open. Alongside these, there are ATP 500 and ATP 250 events, drawing players from every corner of the tennis world. 

It’s a true global spectacle, with over 4,500 matches and more than 2,000 players battling it out each year.

But the ATP Tour isn’t just about athletic prowess. Behind the serves, volleys, and rallies, the logistics of moving players, staff, and fans around the world have an undeniable environmental impact. From flights crisscrossing continents to the energy needed to power massive stadiums like those of the US Open and Wimbledon, the ATP Tour leaves a significant carbon footprint. 

The tour’s global scale, with hundreds of thousands of fans attending in-person events, means the environmental challenges are as vast as the sport itself.

Climate Change: Why We Should Worry

Okay, time for a quick reality check on climate change. It’s not just some future problem we’ll worry about “one day.” It’s here, and it’s already changing the way we live, work, and even play sports. But what is climate change? In simple terms, it’s the long-term shift in temperatures and weather patterns, mostly due to human activities like burning fossil fuels (think oil, gas, coal—the stuff that powers cars, planes, and electricity).

When we burn these fuels, we release greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide) into the air. These gases trap heat in our atmosphere, making the planet warmer. The result? Rising temperatures, melting ice caps, unpredictable weather, and yes, more extreme heatwaves that can halt tennis matches in their tracks.

Here’s a stat that might make you rethink your next road trip: in the last 150 years, Earth’s temperature has already risen by 1°C, and it could rise by another 3-6°C by 2100 if we don’t change our ways​. While that might sound like a nice warm day at the beach, in climate terms, it’s a recipe for disaster. Floods, fires, droughts, and rising sea levels—these are the real-world consequences of what we’re dealing with.

Climate change is happening, and professional tennis is not immune. 

In fact, the ATP has seen firsthand how heatwaves, bushfires, and even poor air quality have disrupted events. Tennis, like all sports, is feeling the heat from climate change, quite literally.

And here’s the truth bomb: professional tennis, with all its travel, stadium lights, and massive fan gatherings, contributes to the very problem it’s facing. 

ATP Serves Sustainability

Luckily, the ATP isn’t sitting courtside, waiting for things to get worse. In November 2021, they launched their ATP Serves Sustainability strategy. This initiative isn’t just about recycling water bottles or installing a few solar panels. It’s a full-court press to make tennis a beacon of environmental responsibility, setting ambitious goals like cutting emissions in half by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2040.

Now, you might be wondering, "What does ‘net zero’ even mean?" Think of it like this: it’s when the amount of carbon emissions put into the atmosphere is balanced by removing the same amount. It’s like eating a giant pizza and then going on a run that somehow burns off every last slice. Sounds tough, right? But that’s what the ATP is aiming for, and they’ve got a roadmap to get there.

The ATP has identified two big areas where tennis can clean up its act: resource consumption and climate action​. Let’s start with resource consumption—aka how much water, energy, and other goodies we’re using to keep the show running.

Resource Consumption: Reducing What We Use

Think about all the resources that go into putting on a tennis tournament. You’ve got energy for the stadium lights, water to keep the courts in pristine condition, and materials for fan merchandise (which often comes wrapped in single-use plastics—yikes). It’s a lot, and it adds up quickly.

The ATP knows this, which is why they’ve set out to reduce the sport’s consumption of these precious resources. They’re looking at everything from using less water on the courts to cutting down on the energy used at tournaments. It’s kind of like going on an eco-friendly diet—less waste, more efficiency.

Climate Action: Tackling Emissions Head-On

The second area of focus is all about emissions. Like I mentioned earlier, travel is a huge part of tennis. Players, fans, staff—everyone is hopping on planes, buses, or cars to get to the next event. All that travel creates a lot of emissions, which contribute to climate change.

But don’t worry—the ATP has a plan for that, too. They’re committing to tracking and reducing the carbon emissions associated with the Tour. Not only that, but they’re also offsetting the emissions they can’t eliminate by investing in projects that remove carbon from the atmosphere. It’s like saying, “Okay, we can’t stop traveling, but we can make up for it in other ways.” And the best part? They’re aiming for a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 and becoming fully carbon neutral by 2040.

The Beginning of a Greener Game

Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword for the ATP Tour—it’s a long-term commitment to making tennis greener and better for the planet. From cutting down on resource consumption to tackling emissions head-on, tennis is taking climate change seriously, and it’s about time.

But the ATP’s work isn’t done yet. In the next part of this challenge, we’ll dive into how they’re actually making all of the above actually happen.

Because let’s face it: we all want a world where tennis—and the planet—can keep thriving for generations to come.