Tri-Level Nationals Strikes Again
Last year, I wrote a 21-part series about a rule imposed at the Tom Fey National Tri-Level Invitational Championships that negatively impacted some players fromRead More
2 responsesAn Ambiguity in Selection for Mixed at the NTRP National Championships
I thought I was done breaking down the rules implications stemming from the NTRP National Championships last week. However, a reader from Intermountain pointed outRead More
The NTRP Championships Rules Get Weird
The 2025 NTRP National Championship Fact Sheet outlines the draw and scoring format for the upcoming tournament. Last year, the USTA ditched the flawed short-setRead More
1 responseChecking the Quota Allocation for the NTRP National Championships
In past years, I have lamented a lack of information about how many slots each Section is allocated for the USTA’s NTRP National Championship andRead More
1 responseLead Times for Acceptance Into the NTRP National Championships
Last weekend, I submitted my entry into the Women’s 18+ 4.5 doubles division for the NTRP National Championships, which will be held next month inRead More
An Update to Rankings Points at the NTRP National Championships
Conducting National Championships is woven into the very fiber of the USTA’s existence. When the organization was confronted with the problem of declining participation in tournaments and focused on increasing play at NTRP events, the most natural “solution” was creation of a National Championship. As soon as a tournament is designated as a “National Championship,” it is also almost a foregone conclusion that it will be Level 1 in the USTA framework. Unfortunately, that sequence of completely logical thought breaks the rankings pyramid and hurts the overall tournament ecosystem.
A Case Study of the New Doubles Selection Criteria for the 2025 NTRP National Championships
Last week, I wrote about the new doubles selection criteria that were recently implemented for the 2025 USTA NTRP National Championships. As a short summary,Read More
2 responsesLetting a Potential Let Go
Last weekend, I played a tournament on a frigid and windy day at a site where the courts are extremely closely spaced with no physicalRead More
3 responsesDoubles Selection Criteria for the NTRP National Championships
A player approached me at a tournament I played last weekend to ask if it was true that the USTA had modified the selection criteriaRead More
3 responsesUSTA League District Oversight in Intermountain
One of the USTA’s overarching philosophies for Adult League play is that as much autonomy as possible should be driven down to the grassroots level.Read More