10 and Under Tennis Competition

I started playing tennis long before my 10th birthday. At the time, special rules for “10 and Under” tennis tournaments wasn’t a thing. We used regular courts, heavy wooden racquets, and traditional balls. And we liked it. We walked to the tennis center, uphill (both ways), in searing heat and gale force winds. Such was tennis in Texas during the 70’s.

When my oldest child started playing tennis, I harbored the illusion that I could teach her to play myself. That was long before I came to appreciate that my antiquated ideas about keeping the ball in play, weren’t going to resonate with her. Eventually, I accepted that I needed to pay someone $80 per hour to deliver the exact coaching advice that I was offering. Our tennis conversations were punctuated with, “Mom, in modern tennis…”

Net Generation “10 and under” tennis was just emerging when my daughter was learning how to play the game. Consequently, she started out with full-sized equipment and balls. When she started taking lessons, she suffered the indignity of a “demotion” to green dot balls. I was skeptical of the necessity at the time, as well.

I have subsequently come to appreciate and recognize the value of appropriately sized equipment and courts for children. It is a strategic imperative to give smaller players a positive experience with the game from the moment they first pick up a racquet. Tennis is a game with a steep learning curve. The inherent challenges of the sport do not have to be exacerbated by strength and size limitations during that crucial first contact with the sport.

Appendix VII of the ITF Rules of Tennis, contains the official Regulations for “10 and under” tennis. “Net Generation” is the USTA’s packaging of the fundamental concepts outlined by the ITF in the rules. There is a little bit of product marketing in all that. I’m guessing that “Net Generation” was more inspiring to focus groups than simply calling it “10 and under” tennis.

The ITF Rules of Tennis specify court sizes and the type of ball for competition at various ages. It also makes recommendations for the size of the racquet that the players should be using loosely based on age. The rules also include provisions for shortened formats, including single-set matches. It even mentions that timed matches are allowed. That probably makes sense for families that are used to standard durations of things like soccer games.

My perspective toward the regulations for “10 and under” tennis is that parents need to know that there are official rules that form the foundation of progressive player development for young kids. I hope that no one gets too warped over the details at that level. The point of tennis at that age is that it is supposed to be fun.

In fact, when you think about it, having fun is the purpose of playing tennis at any age.

1. Friend at Court: The Handbook of Tennis Rules and Regulations, USTA, 2023