Different Skill levels
There are many different national and international skill levels in tennis. The next section explains tennis’s most common skill levels and their structures.
ATP
ATP, the Association of Tennis Professionals is the international men’s tennis association responsible for organising the annual ATP Tour.
ATP Tour is an annual men’s tennis league with its own ranking system. The ATP Tour starts at the beginning of the calendar year and ends at the end of the calendar year. During the year, players can accumulate points from ATP tournaments at different levels, such as the ATP 500.
A player’s ATP ranking is calculated from the player’s 19 best ATP Tour results over the last 52 weeks.
Example of ATP ranking scores:
| Tournament | Amount of Tournaments | ATP-Points | Prize money (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam | 4 | 2000 | tournament specific |
| ATP Finals | 1 | 1100-1500 | 4 450 000 |
| ATP Masters 1000 | 9 | 1000 | 2 450 000 – 3 645 000 |
| ATP Tour 500 | 13 | 500 | 755 000 – 2 100 000 |
| ATP Tour 250 | 40 | 250 | 415 000 – 1 025 000 |
The ATP Tour is the biggest international tennis league in the world and the number one player on the ATP list is considered the best tennis player at the moment.
WTA
WTA The Women’s Tennis Association is the equivalent of the ATP for women. The WTA works like the ATP, but a player’s WTA ranking is calculated from the 16 best (11 in singles) WTA Tour results over the last 52 weeks.
ITF
The ITF (International Tennis Federation) is the international tennis federation responsible for organising the ITF World Tennis Tour.
The ITF World Tennis Tour is the lowest official level of competition in men’s and women’s professional tennis.
The ITF World Tennis Tour has its own points system, which is more generous than the ATP and WTA points systems. Its purpose is to provide a gateway for novice professional players to ATP and WTA competitions.
If a player performs well on the ITF World Tour, he or she has the opportunity to earn ATP/WTA points at the same time, which can be used to qualify for ATP/WTA competitions.
A player’s ITF ranking is made up of the best 14 tournaments in the last 52 weeks and the player earns points according to how far they have progressed in the tournament.
NTRP
NTRP, The National Tennis Rating Program is a US tennis rating system. It is used to monitor a player’s development and to find the right level of competition.
NTRP is based on numerical levels from 1 to 7. At the beginning of the season, players are allowed to self-assess their own skill level, but if a player deliberately misjudges their skill level, the USTA can intervene.
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Beginner player |
| 2-4 | A beginner player who is able to participate in lower-level competitions |
| 4-5 | Intermediate who can hit the ball consistently |
| 5-6 | An advanced player who can hit the ball with versatility and participate in more challenging competitions |
| 6-7 | Professional player |
UTR
UTR, Universal Tennis Rating is an international algorithm-based tennis skill level system. The UTR includes a 16-tiered scale that takes into account a player’s playing skills and ability.
In simple terms, a player’s UTR ranking consists of his last 30 matches over a 12-month period. When calculating a player’s UTR ranking, the algorithm takes into account the final result of each match and the skill level of the player to determine the player’s final ranking.
Example of UTR Rankings:
| Level/Ranking | Description |
|---|---|
| 1,0-4,0 | Junior players (12-14v) |
| 5,0-8,0 | Older junior players (14-16v) |
| 9,0-12,0 | Advanced competitive players |
| 13,00-16,50 | Professional players |