Fiend at Court Unplugged
When the USTA announced the intent to host an individual NTRP National Championship tournament for 2018, I was surprised to see separate divisions for NTRP 18+ and for NTRP 50+. The reason I was puzzled to see that, was because the bifurcation is inconsistent with the USTA assertions about the NTRP system. As I have explored this topic, I am starting to wonder if the USTA is in the midst of an NTRP identity crisis.
Let’s examine the description of the NTRP system in the USTA’s own words.
Developed in 1978, the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) is a classification system that identifies and describes general characteristics of tennis-playing ability.
An NTRP Rating is a numerical indicator of tennis-playing ability, from 1.5 (beginner) through 7.0 (touring pro), which aligns with a set of general characteristics that break down the skills and abilities of each level, in 0.5 increments.
Ratings help establish a player’s NTRP skill level after only a few matches and do not change dramatically. Rather, they slowly increase or decrease over time as they reflect consistent player skill level as exhibited through play results.
There is an inherent contradiction of the first two excerpts with the third. While there is an undeniable correlation between playing characteristics and competitive results, the NTRP system cannot simultaneously be based on both. As currently implemented, outside of the initial self-rating process, playing characteristics are not a factor in the NTRP ratings. It is purely results based.
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.
The USTA has been experimenting with various formats of league and tournament tennis age divisions. I am fully aware that some players appreciate the opportunity to exclusively play others that are in a more narrow age demographic. Even so, isolating players into small homogeneous groups seems like the wrong thing to do in this era of polarization. One of the strengths of tennis is that it brings people together.
The USTA has announced that in 2021, NTRP tournament play will be divided into three tiers, 18+, 40+, and 55+. Additionally, the USTA has indicated that it is believed that this will increase participation in tournaments. Mixed doubles will not be offered in 2021 because the USTA has projected that tournaments will require more courts for the additional matches conjured up by the addition of new NTRP age tier.
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.
There are two conditions in which dividing NTRP tournament draws by age justifiable. The first of these is if participation numbers was so high that draws needed to be divided to bring individual draw sizes down to a manageable number. That is most certainly not the current situation. Additionally, there are other methods of division that would be possible if that was the scenario.
The other reason that would justify NTRP age divisions is if that fact draws or drives additional player engagement in tournaments. We will explore that angle tomorrow.
- Adult NTRP Ratings Questions & Answers, USTA National Web Page, viewed 8/17/2020.
- General & Experienced Player Guidelines, February 2019, United States Tennis Association, viewed July 31, 2020.
- National Tennis Rating Program Poster, USTA digital asset, viewed 8/17/2020.
- Fiend at Court Request, July 21, 2020, (Official response to emailed questions.)
- 2021 Adult Tournament Changes, USTA National Webinar, undated.
- USTA Adult Tournament Changes for 2021, USTA National Website, viewed 7/25/2020
- USTA Announces Sweeping Plan to Reorganize and Prioritize Its Structure, Events, and Activities to Grow the Game and Service the Broader Tennis Industry, USTA Official Press Release, hosted on Open Court website, viewed 8/2/2020.
- Fiend at Court Request, July 21, 2020, (Official response to emailed questions.)
