Tennis News You Can Use
Earlier this week, USTA Texas published a very helpful video containing information on the new USTA Tournament Structure in 2021. The questions covered in this session focused on NTRP events. As far as organizational communication on this topic, this video is the best I have seen to date in terms of concisely and clearly communicating the impacts of the change. (Great job, Christine Watson!)
The video does a very effective job explaining the changes targeted to the Adult NTRP tournament players in Texas. For those that have been following the USTA planned framework closely, most of the contents presented was either already known or broadly anticipated. However, there were a few insights provided that are new and noteworthy.
Mixed Doubles
The USTA Texas video confirmed that NTRP Mixed Doubles will be conducted at USTA tournaments in Texas in 2021. The video also clarified that the unsanctioned Mixed divisions will have a rankings list maintained by the Texas Section office. Prior to the publication of the video it was apparent that tournaments were planning unsanctioned Mixed divisions, but it was unclear who would maintain the rankings list. It will be the USTA Texas Section office rather than an alternate unofficial organization or individual.
Additionally, it was indicated that USTA National would add Mixed as a sanctioned division in 2022. This is a stronger statement over the previous language from National that indicated that Mixed would be considered in the future. Assuming that USTA National has made a commitment to add Mixed in 2022, that is fabulous news.
Additionally, it was indicated that the registration mechanism for Mixed doubles “may” be separate from the sanctioned tournaments. I have been assuming that unsanctioned tournaments would be supported by the (imminently forthcoming, right?) new Serve Tennis Platform. This statement signals that it is likely that there will be two separate tournaments in Serve Tennis to enter for each actual tournament. It is also possible that there may be a separate registration mechanism all together. It would be ideal, but probably not realistic at this point to have single point registration for both sanctioned and unsanctioned events.
A Ranking Loophole is Closed
Until it was stated in the USTA Texas video, it had simply never occurred to me that the policy of awarding rankings points for the divisions entered was specific to USTA Texas. In other words, it is not a USTA National policy. It now seems so obvious, in retrospect.
National has adopted a policy that rankings points will only be earned in divisions actually played. The implications of how that might incentivize players as they enter and compete in events is probably a future (and quite boring) lengthy post. For now, players only need to be aware of the fact that this loophole was closed.
Closing Shots
It was stated in the video that the three tier age groups structure of 18+, 40+, and 55+ was made to make tournaments look more like the USTA League structure. I mean, leagues are essentially what is destroying tournament tennis, but sure, let’s try that.
That last fact prompted me to a journey of discovery where I came to the stunning realization that there is no freestanding document containing the USTA Tournament Rules and Regulations. While the USTA League Regulations and Operating procedures a standalone and document, the Tournament regulations are directly documented in the USTA Friend at Court. In another moment of retrospective clarity, I fully understand the historical evolution that led the USTA to that point.
In the webinars previously released by USTA National it has been stated on a couple of occasions that it takes two years to update the USTA Friend at Court. That means that the new tournament regulations in 2021 will be a temporary annex to that document. It also means that we will all be playing outside the official rules while waiting for the USTA Friend at Court to catch up.
In the meantime, I am pondering the structure that is the sacred text of the USTA Friend at Court. Essentially the daily rules exploration superimposed with the upcoming tournament changes for 2021 has prompted an exegesis of that document. It is possibly time to consider a major restructuring of the USTA Friend at Court for the purpose of maintainability and clarity.
I don’t think that is a crazy idea.
- USTA Texas Adult Tournament Changes Facebook Video, https://www.facebook.com/82459143413/videos/216148659898314/, published 11/25/2020, last viewed 11/29, 2020
- 2021 USTA League Regulations, July 23, 2020, USTA National Website.
- United States Tennis Association (2020) Friend at Court. White Plains, NY
