I was skeptical when the USTA first started offering NTRP age divisions in tournaments. My reservations were largely centered around two primary concerns. First, separating players by age within an NTRP level is incongruent with how the USTA characterizes the NTRP system. Second, at the time, I was not convinced that fragmenting NTRP divisions would be an effective mechanism for increasing player participation, as the USTA had projected when announcing the new initiative.
I wasn’t yet blogging when the NTRP age divisions were originally unveiled. However, this site launched in the same year that the USTA expanded the age divisions in 2020. Shortly after the announcement that the 18+ and 50+ age divisions would be further bifurcated into 18+, 40+, and 55+ divisions, I wrote a lengthy series of posts breaking down the topic. The following excerpts from “USTA NTRP Identity Crisis: Age Tiers” provided my blunt assessment of the NTRP incongruities.
If NTRP levels are already being calculated off results, there is no valid reason for dividing NTRP levels by age. It is true that certain playing characteristics diminish with age. Eventually those diminishing attributes will impact performance as reflected through results. That will be reflected in a player’s calculated NTRP level.
If the NTRP system is working as well as the USTA asserts that it is, there should be no reason to divide the levels by age. I see the continued desire to chop up participation by age as an indictment against the system.
Excerpt from “USTA NTRP Identity Crisis: Age Tiers“
My viewpoints have not softened during the intervening time, other than observing that the creation of the World Tennis Number (WTN) rating is maybe a glimmer of evidence from the USTA that modernization is needed.
More recently, “Checking the Quota Allocation for the NTRP National Championships,” mentioned in passing that the data I analyzed for that blog post reveals low participation numbers in most Sections for NTRP age divisions in tournaments. That post also shared that I recently heard the rumor that the USTA is considering whether to collapse the 18+, 40+, and 55+ divisions back down to the first deviation, which was 18+ and 50+. The subset of data I examined for 2024 tournament participation suggests that some sort of change is needed. However, now might be a good time to consider additional options. Specifically, why not go all the way back?
I would be loathe to advocate for preserving the current three tiers. Still, the rules USTA Texas used to have in place as detailed in my previous two posts this weekend could potentially help the participation numbers. Specifically, awarding full ranking points for two-person divisions and giving additional ranking points to players who entered one division and agreed to play in a combined draw might attract additional participants. However, I think there is an even better idea that should be put on the table.
The USTA could collapse NTRP divisions back down to only the 18+ level but still publish a rankings list at any arbitrary age cutoffs desired. For example, as a 55+ player, I would show up in the 18+, 40+, and 55+ ranking list with the same number of points. That change would end the fragmentation of NTRP age divisions and increase draw sizes.
As a bonus, the USTA could still offer age division events for qualification tournaments such as the NTRP National Championships or the USTA Texas Masters. This would put prestige back into those events, as the qualified players would have earned their ranking points from the best competition their NTRP division offers rather than arbitrarily ducking younger players in favor of playing in smaller draws against older competition.
Of course, this idea is largely self-serving. From a practical standpoint, only the 18+ Women’s 4.5 division consistently makes in Texas. Additionally, I will generally hunt out the best competition when playing in a tournament, which usually occurs at 18+. I usually don’t do the 40+ and 55+ NTRP age divisions even when they are offered anyway. Additionally, I just want larger draw sizes to be a thing again.
Ultimately, the USTA’s approach to NTRP age divisions has created unnecessary fragmentation, limited draw sizes, and reduced competitive opportunities. If the goal is truly to encourage participation, a more effective solution would be to consolidate NTRP tournament play back to a single 18+ division while maintaining age-based rankings lists to fuel special purpose events.
I strongly believe that it would better serve the tournament community as a whole.
