In systems engineering, periodic maintenance is not limited to fixing broken things. Sometimes the purpose of an inspection is simply as an annual reminder. This weekend’s Unplugged series is built around that idea. Certain topics seem to resurface on this site year after year, and one of them arrives right on schedule every time Wimbledon approaches.
As the professional grass court season reaches its brief but full swing, recreational players across the country inevitably begin thinking the same thing. “I’d love to play on grass someday.” The assumption underpinning that statement is that grass-court tennis is inaccessible. Every year, I find myself writing some version of this post because that perception remains one of the most persistent misconceptions in adult tennis.
The reality is that most adult players can play competitive grass-court tennis this year if they choose to. In fact, the biggest barrier is often not eligibility, rankings, or tournament selection criteria, but rather self-elimination. Players talk themselves out of entering before they ever investigate whether participation is actually possible.
Most adult tournaments are not turning away hordes of eligible players. While selection procedures exist for many national events, they are rarely needed. The vast majority of adult competitors who meet the eligibility requirements and submit an entry will get into the draw. The participation challenge facing many tournaments is often attracting enough entries, not reducing them.
The perception that only elite players belong in these events is especially misleading. A few years ago, a full draw at the USTA National Open Grass Court Championships included multiple NTRP 4.5 players and at least one NTRP 4.0 player. Were those players among the favorites to win the tournament? Absolutely not, but that is beside the point.
One of the hidden values of tournament tennis is that not every worthwhile experience needs to be optimized for competitive success. If you enter an adult national tournament, you will occasionally get your ass handed to you. However, that eventually happens to almost everyone who plays enough tournament tennis.
Several years ago, I won two rounds in a USTA Level 1 Hard Court Championship before being thoroughly dismantled by a former WTA player in the Round of 16. I survived exactly long enough to discover how large the gap remained between good and truly elite tennis. Even with the lopsided match score, I would not trade that experience for anything.
The longer I play tournament tennis, the more convinced I become that players frequently underestimate the value of simply being there.
That realization became even clearer in 2024 when I finally checked an item off my own tennis bucket list by competing at the historic Longwood Cricket Club. For anyone who appreciates tennis history, that site is hallowed ground. It hosted the first Davis Cup competition and multiple editions of what eventually became the U.S. Open. Walking onto those courts was one of the most memorable tennis experiences of my life.
The interesting part is that the opportunity existed exclusively because of tournament tennis. It connects directly to something I discussed last weekend while writing about the hidden value of tournaments. Many of the most unique experiences available in our sport exist because tournament structures create access to stronger opponents, iconic venues, and playing surfaces that most players would otherwise never experience. Grass courts may be the best example.
Many players spend their entire lives watching Wimbledon without ever stepping onto the surface themselves. Yet every year, there are tournaments throughout the country that make that experience available to ordinary adult competitors willing to enter.
Perhaps the most important reason I continue to revisit this topic every summer is that grass-court tennis represents something larger than a playing surface. It serves as a reminder that many of the best experiences in tennis remain far more accessible than people assume. The same players who will spend two weeks watching Wimbledon often never take the next step to make it happen when it is entirely accessible.
Most of these tournaments would be delighted to have you enter. You might win. You might lose badly. You will almost certainly leave with a great story and experience.
If you have spent years watching Wimbledon and wondering what it feels like to play on grass, consider this your annual reminder to stop assuming the opportunity belongs to someone else. This might be your grass court year.
Remaining 2026 USTA Grass Court Tournament Opportunities
June
June 20-22
Level 4 Open: ATP/WTA Hall of Fame Open Pre-Qualifier
International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, Rhode Island
Divisions: Men, Women
Entry Deadline: June
July
July 13-15
Level 1: USTA National Father-Son & Grandfather-Grandson Grass Court Championships
Longwood Cricket Club, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Divisions: Father-Son & Grandfather-Grandson Doubles
Entry Deadline: June 24
July 20-26
Level 1: USTA National Women’s 35-85 Grass Court Championships
Germantown Cricket Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Divisions: Women’s 35+, 45+, 55+, 65+, 75+, and 85+ Singles & Doubles
Entry Deadline: July 6
July 30-August 2
Level 4 Open: New England Grass Court Senior Slam
Agawam Hunt, Rumford, Rhode Island
Divisions: Men’s Senior Singles & Doubles
July 30-August 1
Level 1: USTA National Father-Daughter Grass Court Championships
Longwood Cricket Club, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Entry Deadline: July 15
July 31-August 2
Level 1: USTA National Mother-Daughter Grass Court Championships
Longwood Cricket Club, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Entry Deadline: July 15
August
August 1-4
Level 1: USTA Men’s 30s & 35s National Grass Court Championships
Philadelphia Cricket Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Entry Deadline: July 21
August 10-16
Level 1: USTA National Men’s 60s & 70s Grass Court Championships
Philadelphia Cricket Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
August 17-23
Level 1: USTA National Men’s 65s & 75s Grass Court Championships
Philadelphia Cricket Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
August 24-27
Level 1: USTA National Men’s 85s, 90s & 95s Grass Court Championships
Longwood Cricket Club, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Entry Deadline: August 10
August 29-30
Level 5 Open: Lawn Tennis Championships (Prize Money Event)
Moline, Illinois
Divisions: Men, Women, Mixed
Entry Deadline: August 25
September
September 8-13
Level 1: USTA Men’s 50s & 55s National Grass Court Championships
Agawam Hunt, Rumford, Rhode Island
Entry Deadline: August 30
September 14-20
Level 1: USTA National Open Grass Court Championships
International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, Rhode Island
Divisions: Men, Women, Mixed
Entry Deadline: August 28
September 18-20
Level 5 Open: Franklyn Scott Fall Classic
Germantown Cricket Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Divisions: Men, Women, Mixed
Entry Deadline: September 15
September 18-20
Level 1: USTA National Mother-Son Grass Court Championships
Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, California
September 21-28
Level 1: USTA Women’s National Grass Court Championships (30-90)
Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, California
Divisions: Women’s 30+, 40+, 50+, 60+, 70+, 80+, and 90+ Singles & Doubles
Entry Deadline: September 10
