One of the ways I entertain myself each year as the annual update to the USTA League Regulations is published is by bitterly counting the number of times the word “grievance” appears in the document. To me, the ever-escalating use of that word is evidence that something has gone terribly wrong with the spirit and intent of the USTA League system. Tennis is supposed to be fun rather than litigious.
This year, I took an alternate approach by examining the 2025 USTA League Regulations in arguably the most Fiend at Court way possible. I fed the new standard into ChatGPT 4o and asked it a series of questions about the content. The results were illuminating but also hardly surprising.
For example, the response to the question of what is the most important thing to the USTA based solely on the 2025 USTA League Regulations indicated that “The most important thing to the USTA (United States Tennis Association) appears to be the organization, governance, and implementation of the USTA League Program.” If the context is constrained strictly to adult tennis, I think that is an accurate response.
We all know that the USTA’s top priority is running the US Open. Junior Tennis and the Player Development Program follow closely behind. Adult recreational tennis is further down on the priority list. However, this exercise was constrained to avoid that context.
This year, rather than counting the number of times grievance was used in the 2025 USTA League Regulations, I simply asked ChatGPT to do that for me. However, this is an example of how technology can be used to deliver an even more nuanced perspective. For example, I asked for a list of the 10 most frequently used words in the regulations, excluding common articles and numbers. Grievance was the fifth most common word, clocking in at 181 appearances.
Top 10 most frequently used words in the 2025 USTA Regulations, ChatGPT 4o
- league (352)
- ntrp (288)
- team (203)
- usta (199)
- grievance (181)
- level (176)
- player (161)
- committee (158)
- rating (154)
- championship (136)
It is perhaps reassuring to find that the words League, NTRP, team, and USTA are used more than grievance. However, the fact that it is so high on the usage list reveals a stark reality of the culture of USTA League tennis. One day, I hope to live in a world where the USTA League Regulations do not need to have processes and procedures for grievance integrated with almost every aspect of competition.
I also asked ChatGPT the question, “Is USTA League supposed to be fun based solely on the 2025 USTA League Regulations.”
Based solely on the document, the primary focus of USTA League tennis appears to be on the structured and regulated aspects of competitive play.
While the document’s language and focus are heavily centered on the formal and administrative aspects of league play, it does not explicitly state that the primary goal is to have fun. However, recreational play and the spirit of competition often implicitly include the enjoyment and personal satisfaction derived from participating in sports.
In summary, the document does not explicitly mention fun or enjoyment as a primary goal of USTA League tennis. Instead, it concentrates on the organized, competitive, and regulatory aspects of the sport.
Is USTA League supposed to be fun based solely on the 2025 USTA League Regulations? Answered by ChatGPT4o
Unsurprisingly, the USTA League Regulations primarily focus on the structured and regulated aspects of competitive play—it is literally the purpose of the document. However, it is a little disheartening that it concentrates on the administrative aspects of USTA League without explicitly emphasizing that having fun is the program’s fundamental purpose.
Tennis is supposed to be fun. While ChatGPT seems to know that enjoyment and personal satisfaction are vital parts of recreational play, it didn’t derive that from the USTA League Regulations. Perhaps this represents an opportunity to start nudging the culture back in the right direction. For 2026, I would propose that an explicit statement should be added at the front of the document that emphasizes that this form of tennis is supposed to be fun.
So much of the grievance culture of USTA League Tennis is caused by people losing sight of that fundamental thing.
- 2025 USTA League National Regulations, USTA Resource Document, April 14, 2024.
