Top 5 fastest tennis Masters 1000 tournaments after Paris Masters and Shanghai Masters' drastic slow down

The past few weeks have seen a lot of conversation around the current trend of slow court conditions, with top stars like Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and even Roger Federer speaking up against it. The CPI (Court Pace Index) further solidifies that the Shanghai Masters and the upcoming Paris Masters have made drastic changes to the court conditions.

The court speed is dependent on a lot of factors, with the most important one being the surface. On clay, the roughness and loose nature of the surface cause the ball to bounce more vertically and with greater height than on other surfaces. This makes the ball lose forward speed and hence results in a slower game.

Grass condition, on the other hand, can vary significantly. The speed is dependent upon the moisture and sponginess of the grass, which helps the ball skid off the surface. However, the conditions can keep changing throughout the day, making it a tactical challenge for players.

The speed on hardcourts, however, depends on what material is used to build the court. Plexipave, GreenSet, and DecoTurf are some of the surfaces widely used in both Grand Slam and Masters 1000 events, affecting the bounce. The heaviness of the ball also affects the speed of an event immensely.

However, the calculation of CPI does not take weather conditions into account. This is because the speed of the ball is measured as soon as it leaves the surface, allowing the conditions to not have any effect on it. With the help of the Hawkeye technology, the tracking of the ball is now more efficient, leading to more accurate data.

The CPI is calculated as the coefficient of friction, i.e., the forces pressing the ball and court together, and the coefficient of restitution, i.e., the compression of the ball on impact. The Formula of CPI is 100(1-μ)+150(0.81-e), where μ is the coefficient of friction and e is the coefficient of restitution. (via Perfect Tennis)

On that note, here are the top five fastest Masters 1000 tournaments (based on 2025 data):

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#5. Shanghai Masters - 32.8

The Masters 1000 tournament in China stood at 32.8 in the CPI this year, making a very drastic change from last year's 40.8. This brought the court down from a medium-fast to a medium-slow surface type. The tournament had maintained a pretty static court speed over the past few years, averaging around 40.2.

However, this abrupt and noticeable difference was criticized by many ATP stars, including Alex de Minaur, who said,

“Yeah, it feels like the slowest conditions I've played on tour. The balls get humongous after a couple games, and the speed of the court is very, very slow.”

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#4. Paris Masters - 35.1

The Paris Masters has made the most drastic change to their surface from last year, with the CPI dropping from 45.5 in 2024 to 35.1 in 2025. One of the main reasons for that could be the change in the venue of the event, which is being shifted from to Paris La Défense Arena from the Accor Arena in Bercy.

However, as promised by the organisers, the conditions were supposed to be similar to the upcoming ATP Finals in Turin, which is around 40.0. Set to be the slowest edition of the tournament in recent times, the Rolex Paris Masters will kick off on November 2, with around a 25% drop in surface speed from last year.

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#3. Miami Open - 40.7

The Miami Open made a moderate leap in the speed of its court earlier this year. From being 35.5 last year, they went back to 40.7 in the CPI, maintaining a similar trend of the court speed with the 2023 season.

It has been labeled as medium-fast with an average CPI of 34.3, but it will likely go higher if they keep up their plans to maintain faster courts.

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#2. Cincinnati Open - 43.0

Since their major drop in court speed in 2023 (CPI of 33.2), the Cincinnati Open has maintained a medium-fast court type for the last two years. Made of the Har-Tru Coatings, the surface has been one of the more well-appreciated ones among the players.

They had a speed of 42.5 in 2024 and 43.0 in 2025, maintaining a commendable consistency in surface speed.

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#1. Canadian Open - 44.6

The Canadian Open boasts the highest CPI this season among Masters 1000 tournaments, with a CPI score of 44.6, and is the fastest court this season. As per the past trends, the court has not been consistent with its pace, as major fluctuations have happened in terms of speed in the past few years.

However, with an average of 37.6, the Masters 1000 event in Toronto was described as 'lightning fast' by Taylor Fritz earlier this year. However, another major factor of court speed is the perception of players, which varies greatly and has an impact on their game.

Edited by Tushhita Barua