Latest Posts

USTA 35 by ’35: Are We Measuring the Right Things? THE RACQUET STRINGER: A Prodigy’s Tale The Code, Principle 15: Even an Obvious Out Ball Needs a Call Kneeling Medicine Ball Wall Slams for Tennis Tennis Beyond the Headlines: September 14, 2026 2027 Fort Worth USTA League Regulations: What Changed? New Year, New Rules: What Changed in Dallas USTA League Tennis for 2027

My First Take on World Tennis Number

On By Teresa Merklin

In certain pockets of the tennis ecosystem, there is a general awareness that a new “World Tennis Number” system is coming soon. The same people that whisper that bit of tennis insider information inevitably follow it up with breathless exhortations that it’s going to be amazing. No one can ever claim that tennis organizational insiders have a lack of enthusiasm for vague forthcoming changes that will revolutionize the administrative side of the sport. By the same token, no one can claim that there is any semblance of a track record of success in such initiatives. In any case, the World Tennis Number is apparently coming soon.

9 responses

Houston (Texas) We Have a Problem

On By Teresa Merklin

Yesterday I wrote about disparities in how each USTA Sectional awards sanctions Level 5 tennis tournaments under the new framework unveiled by the USTA in 2021. Some sections have a lot of Level 5 tournaments and the differences cannot be chalked up to higher levels of participation. In fact, Texas has one of the highest tournament participation levels yet relatively few Level 5 tournaments.

USTA Level 5 Tournament Landscape

On By Teresa Merklin

One of the benefits of the new USTA National Tennis Tournament framework unveiled for 2021 is that the majority of local tournaments are now open to USTA members regardless of residency. Additionally, those events award ranking points toward the player’s USTA National ranking that impacts tournament seeding and selection into exclusive events. After the first full year of competitive play under the new system, disparities in how each USTA Section is awarding sanctions for tournaments in accordance with the new framework has become apparent.

1 response

The January Tennis “Gift” of Time

On By Teresa Merklin

Heading into New Year’s Eve last week, I shared twelve “Gifts” that you can give to yourself to jumpstart your tennis life. Each item on that list is essentially a tennis related life hack shamelessly adapted from a cybersecurity career development webinar that I gave in 2019. I will be revisiting one of those items in more depth on the first Friday of each month this year. In January, I am focusing on the “Gift” of Time.

Rod Laver: An Autobiography

On By Teresa Merklin

As the “Australian Summer of Tennis” gets underway, it is the perfect time to shift our attention to books about the rich tennis heritage from “Down Under.” There is no better place to start than with the most recent biography of the man whose name adorns the side of the stadium where the culmination of the Australian Open is contested.

“Updates” to the ITF Rules of Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

Ever since New Year’s Day rolled around I have been eagerly anticipating the release of the 2022 ITF Rules of Tennis. As a blog that started with a rules oriented focus, it just kind of feels like the right thing to do. The ITF finally got around to posting the new document on their web site yesterday morning. After electronically comparing the differences between the 2021 and 2022 documents, I can confidently assert that there are no material changes to the ITF Rules of Tennis in 2022.

The USTA Player Development Journal

On By Teresa Merklin

The USTA Player Development Program produced a document in 2013 that continues to serve as a focal point for players to assess and track their tennis training. The “Player Development Journal” consists of three major sections. The first is an overview of the various playing styles so a player can understand the aspects of their own game. The second part is template pages for practice evaluation. The last section provides forms for post-match assessments. The “PD” (as insiders apparently refer to it) is available for free public download from the USTA at the link provided at the end of this post.

3 responses