There is a cap to the number of tournaments that count toward a player’s USTA ranking under the current cumulative tournament performance ranking system. The primary purpose of this post is to correct a misstatement I made about that on this site a couple of weeks ago. Additionally, it is a perfect opportunity to preview my emerging thinking on how to structure tennis tournaments to build the robust participation needed for a healthy competitive ecosystem.
First the errata. In “The FMLC Mullet,”I incorrectly stated that a player’s ranking was based on their top four tournaments. That statement was based on the USTA informational page for Adult Tournament Rankings. I have included a current screen shot of that page below. (The USTA should probably consider updating it.)
The correct number is actually six. The authoritative source for that is the USTA Adult and Family Tournament, Ranking, & Sanctioning Regulations document.
Ranking calculation. Singles, doubles, and mixed doubles rankings are based on the total ranking points earned during the Ranking Period in the division from the six Ranking Tournaments in which the player earned the most ranking points in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, respectively. No match may count for ranking in more than one Adult or Family division.
USTA Adult and Family Tournament, Ranking, & Sanctioning Regulations IX.F.5
Assuming that USTA CEO Lew Sherr hasn’t already issued an update since recently taking over the reigns of the organization, the USTA Strategic Vision includes diversification of the demographic base of participants. Tennis is not supposed to be a sport reserved for wealthy urban elites anymore.
Six tournaments is… a lot. On the surface, counting ranking points for players across a high number of tournaments is consistent with my “More Tennis is always the answer” philosophy literally emblazoned on my chest. However, there are only 52 weekends in a year. A player that plays in six tournaments is sacrificing almost 12% of their annual leisure time for tournament play. It’s a steep price to pay.
Players who live in locations that have a lot of tournaments can play that number of events locally without ever exhausting a tank of gas or expensive lodging. However, for players who live in areas that have few (or zero) tournaments, the cost in terms of time and expense are significantly higher. Regional diversification of tournament opportunities cannot be overlooked strategically by the USTA.
I have also been contemplating the nominal length of tournaments as that variable impacts accessibility and opportunity for competition. I am working on a longer series of posts that capture what should be the guiding principles that define competition for each tier in the USTA Adult tournament framework. I am converging toward the conclusion that Level 5 tournaments (and below) should be constrained to a maximum of three days.
When the USTA 7 tier system was unveiled for 2021, Level 5 tournaments were defined to be “up to 5 days” in duration. That “flexibility” is largely an academic distinction because participation is currently so low that tournament durations are short. However, as we collectively work toward building participation it could become an issue in the future. Perhaps the decisions we take now could build a foundation for a seamless transition should that transpire.
An adult with a traditional salaried job will have to take six days of vacation to play in that number of three day tournaments. It is a pretty big ask. If participation builds and those tournaments start to run a full 5 days, the approximate number of required vacation expands to 12. I don’t have a good way to estimate the impact for people that work jobs that require working on weekends.
Without structural change, increased participation would create large draws that squeeze out people who lack the time and resources necessary to compete. Tennis would (once again) become the sport of the idle rich. I don’t think that is healthy or desired.
- USTA Adult Tournament Rankings Page, screen capture May 26, 2022.
- USTA Adult and Family Tournament, Ranking, & Sanctioning Regulations, Amended December 2020, viewed April 22, 2022.
- 2021 USTA Adult Tournaments Ranked Events, viewed May 26, 2022.
