Looks like tournament applications is a hidden a sub-game in pro tennis. I know players look for favourable draws but not that the reality of it looked like this.
-- Edited by skibbarriz on Sunday 30th of April 2017 09:58:00 AM
1. A player can enter up to 6 tournaments in one week. They monitor the lists to see which will be the best choice taking into account whether they will make main draw / Qs / alts and how easy / expensive it is to get there. Clearly that means withdrawals in up to 5 other tournaments for each one accepted.
2. Entry deadline is 3 weeks before the tournament starts with withdrawal deadline 1 week later, but in practice most players enter well before that (so that they don't forget) based on which tournaments they can get to / are likely to get in to at the time of entry. Their ranking may well move between entering and the entry cutoff / withdrawal date which means they may raise / lower their sights nearer to the tournament and withdraw from some and re-enter others.
3. At the lower level there is very little planning of schedules in the way that higher level players are able to do. There is a lot of last minute decisions based on where you can afford to attend / get into / stand some likelihood of picking up points.
4. Because they often enter well in advance, by the time the withdrawal deadline comes around maybe they are a little bit injured or have the chance of a good training week or whatever and then withdraw from all of the tournaments they have entered.
Edit: Added point 4
-- Edited by The Optimist on Sunday 30th of April 2017 02:19:58 PM
Not sure if the women's system is the same as the men's but I do know that in the men's game, players can apply to enter up to 6 tournaments on any week. They can then try to judge which will be the best for them by looking at the entry lists. Entry deadlines are on a Thurs and the players then have 5 days to make up their minds before a withdrawal deadline the following Tuesday.
It is for this reason that you will see a lot of withdrawals.
Edit
So basically what The O said above.
-- Edited by Bob in Spain on Sunday 30th of April 2017 10:10:22 AM