Understanding The USTA System
What is the USTA? The United States Tennis Association is the primary place Americans compete in tennis outside of the high school setting. Juniors (8-18) and adults both compete in the USTA. Adults generally compete through travel team leagues, whereas juniors typically compete by playing age-level tournaments. The goal of this page is to give a detailed understanding of these junior tournaments.
Why do players compete in USTA Tournaments?
1. To practice playing a variety of opponents in a pressure situation. To improve, you need to play several different styles of players, and the match should be meaningful. The USTA gives you this. Every tournament, you are guaranteed to play at least two players, and more if you continue winning.
2. To gain the attention of Colleges. In most sports, college coaches look at player’s high school results for recruiting purposes. In tennis, however, a college coach will look almost exclusively at USTA results. As a generalization, in Division II, a coach typically looks for players with a certain Midwest Ranking. A Division I program would be more likely to look for players with a certain National Ranking.
3. Enjoyment / Focus. Once you get good enough where you can start advancing through draws, these tournaments become a lot of fun. People who compete regularly in tournaments benefit far more during weekly drills and lessons than those who don't, because tournaments show a player exactly what they need to be working.
How is the USTA Junior System Structured?
1. By gender and age. Boys and Girls compete in 10s, 12s, 14’s, 16’s and 18’s. So, every two years you bump up into the next age group. Boys and girls are in separate divisions.
2. By Levels. Tournaments are designated Level 4 to Level 1. Here’s what you need to know:
Level 5 – These are what the majority of players compete in each week in West Michigan. Anyone who is a member of the USTA can enter into a Level 4 tournament. They are almost always First Match consolation, which means if you lose in the first round, you go to a back draw. Varsity players and aspiring varsity players play in these tournaments. Almost all of the competitors will be from the West Michigan area. The further you advance in the draw, the more points you get, which brings your ranking up.
Level 1 through 3 – These are elevated tournaments, with Level One being the highest. These tournaments draw players from a larger area. These tournaments generally cap the number of entrants, so only players with lots of USTA points can get in. Elevated tournaments are double elimination, meaning you get to keep playing until you lose twice, regardless of which round you lose your first match in. People play in these tournaments because they get better competition. You earn far more points for each win in these events, so your ranking raises faster, provided you are good enough to get the wins.
How do I get seeds at tournaments? Every player in the Midwest has a Midwest ranking, depending on how many points they have accumulated. Before a tournament starts, they take the number of entrants and seed approximately one quarter of players, in the order of their points on the Midwest Ranking List. As you compete and improve, a snowball effect may occur. Getting seeded earns you a better draw, allowing you to advance consistently, which gets you into elevated tournaments, which earns you points faster and faster. This is important if you want to play D1 or D2 tennis in college.
What are the tournaments I should be looking for?
Level 4 Tournaments: This is where 75% of USTA players compete. Almost all tournaments you enter will likely be Level 4’s, unless you are a very experienced USTA player. You will know when it’s time to move up to elevated tournaments. However, there is one elevated tournaments in West Michigan you may consider even if you are just getting started...
The Midwest Qualifier: Every player should seriously consider this event. The draw is enormous, and every player on the West Michigan Ranking list will be there…all of them. The Qualifier is the first round of Super Nationals, and any player may enter regardless of their ranking. This tournament is held in early to mid-June. Winning even one round match at the qualifier is usually worth about as many points as winning a Level 5 tournament. It’s played each year at Stowe Stadium in Kalamazoo. I suggest West Ottawa families send a caravan down and makes a fun weekend of it to kick off the summer.
Why do players compete in USTA Tournaments?
1. To practice playing a variety of opponents in a pressure situation. To improve, you need to play several different styles of players, and the match should be meaningful. The USTA gives you this. Every tournament, you are guaranteed to play at least two players, and more if you continue winning.
2. To gain the attention of Colleges. In most sports, college coaches look at player’s high school results for recruiting purposes. In tennis, however, a college coach will look almost exclusively at USTA results. As a generalization, in Division II, a coach typically looks for players with a certain Midwest Ranking. A Division I program would be more likely to look for players with a certain National Ranking.
3. Enjoyment / Focus. Once you get good enough where you can start advancing through draws, these tournaments become a lot of fun. People who compete regularly in tournaments benefit far more during weekly drills and lessons than those who don't, because tournaments show a player exactly what they need to be working.
How is the USTA Junior System Structured?
1. By gender and age. Boys and Girls compete in 10s, 12s, 14’s, 16’s and 18’s. So, every two years you bump up into the next age group. Boys and girls are in separate divisions.
2. By Levels. Tournaments are designated Level 4 to Level 1. Here’s what you need to know:
Level 5 – These are what the majority of players compete in each week in West Michigan. Anyone who is a member of the USTA can enter into a Level 4 tournament. They are almost always First Match consolation, which means if you lose in the first round, you go to a back draw. Varsity players and aspiring varsity players play in these tournaments. Almost all of the competitors will be from the West Michigan area. The further you advance in the draw, the more points you get, which brings your ranking up.
Level 1 through 3 – These are elevated tournaments, with Level One being the highest. These tournaments draw players from a larger area. These tournaments generally cap the number of entrants, so only players with lots of USTA points can get in. Elevated tournaments are double elimination, meaning you get to keep playing until you lose twice, regardless of which round you lose your first match in. People play in these tournaments because they get better competition. You earn far more points for each win in these events, so your ranking raises faster, provided you are good enough to get the wins.
How do I get seeds at tournaments? Every player in the Midwest has a Midwest ranking, depending on how many points they have accumulated. Before a tournament starts, they take the number of entrants and seed approximately one quarter of players, in the order of their points on the Midwest Ranking List. As you compete and improve, a snowball effect may occur. Getting seeded earns you a better draw, allowing you to advance consistently, which gets you into elevated tournaments, which earns you points faster and faster. This is important if you want to play D1 or D2 tennis in college.
What are the tournaments I should be looking for?
Level 4 Tournaments: This is where 75% of USTA players compete. Almost all tournaments you enter will likely be Level 4’s, unless you are a very experienced USTA player. You will know when it’s time to move up to elevated tournaments. However, there is one elevated tournaments in West Michigan you may consider even if you are just getting started...
The Midwest Qualifier: Every player should seriously consider this event. The draw is enormous, and every player on the West Michigan Ranking list will be there…all of them. The Qualifier is the first round of Super Nationals, and any player may enter regardless of their ranking. This tournament is held in early to mid-June. Winning even one round match at the qualifier is usually worth about as many points as winning a Level 5 tournament. It’s played each year at Stowe Stadium in Kalamazoo. I suggest West Ottawa families send a caravan down and makes a fun weekend of it to kick off the summer.