To get the most out of competition you should try and play against players of a similar standard. To help you choose the level of competition that is right for you all Tennis Alberta competitions are rated and graded.
There are also two measures to help players understand and monitor their playing standard:
- NTRP Self-Ratings – helps you find players of a similar level so that you can have competitive games.
- Universal Tennis Ratings (UTR) – indicates a standard of play based on competition results and allows players to monitor their progress.
- National Rankings – a measure of where you stand in your age group or play level provincially and nationally.
- ITF World Number – provides real-time skill level rating for or all tennis players, regardless of age, gender or ability.
Competition grading
To help players identify suitable competitive opportunities so they can play against others of a similar standard competitions are graded from local club level competitions to national competitions.
Club
If you are just starting to compete, Club competitions offer a great opportunity to gain some competitive experience in a local environment. These include local competitions such as interclub or box leagues and ladders. Although this level of competition may have a NTRP rating it does not provide points towards National Bank Rankings or Universal Tennis Rankings. To find out more contact your local tennis venue or the Tennis Alberta office.
Provincial
These competitions are sanctioned by Tennis Alberta and take place at local clubs or public courts and are open to players of all ages and abilities. They might be for specific age groups or cater for different age groups within one tournament. These competitions count for both National Bank Rankings and Universal Tennis Ratings.
National
These are national level competitions and count for both National Bank Rankings and Universal Tennis Ratings.
