Tim Henman has called for a rule change when it comes to ATP Finals qualification as several top players are fighting it out to gain the final spot.
After Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton confirmed their places in the ATP Finals, there is just one spot remaining with a few more tournaments to play.
Lorenzo Musetti, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Alexander Bublik are still in the race for the final spot, with the Italian currently occupying the eighth position.
Henman believes there should be a slight tweak to the rules, which would affect some of the players in the race.
Tim Henman wants to change when ATP Finals qualification is decided
Henman is currently at the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia, but he turned his attention toward the men’s race as the Paris Masters reaches the semi-final stage.
The former British No. 1 believes the final few tournaments of the year, in Athens and Metz, should not be counted for qualification.
Speaking on Sky Sports Tennis, Henman shared: “I think the challenging element, and I’m not sure I like it, is that there’s actually still a couple of tournaments the week after Paris.”
Fellow former British pro-turned-broadcaster Laura Robson agreed with the former Wimbledon semi-finalist.
“It feels like this [Paris] should be the last one that counts, right?,” she added, before Henman bolstered his claim.
“Yeah, it feels like a Masters 1000 to finish, and then you should go into the ATP Finals,” Henman explained.
“There’s still an opportunity and you see some of those players taking wild cards to pick up an extra 250 points, but yeah, it’s certainly going to come down to the wire.”
Both Auger-Aliassime and Bublik have entered a tournament after Paris in order to strengthen their qualification bid.
What needs to happen for Alexander Bublik to qualify for the ATP Finals
Bublik’s incredible form in the second half of the season has put him in the mix for ATP Finals qualification, but he still needs plenty of things to go his way in order to gain entry to Turin.
The current World No. 11 must win the Paris Masters, which would include a win over his rival Auger-Aliassime.
Then, he would need an early exit for Musetti in Metz, as well as Auger-Aliassime exiting before the final of the tournament.
Those two exits would ensure that a win in Metz would help him earn the World No. 8 spot before the ATP Finals.
