The National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) is the official system for determining the levels of competition for the USTA League Tennis Program. The USTA NTRP Computer Rating System assigns ratings based on play in the local league and at championship level during the current league year. Click here to check your rating.

NTRP Ratings Terminology

• Rating - the playing level that a USTA member's NTRP rating has been rounded up to for purposes of creating leagues of common ability. Example: 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 etc.
• Dynamic Rating - a player's actual rating to the 100th of a point that is generated daily by the NTRP database. Example: 2.36 or 3.29. This is hidden from the player and Louisville League.
• Ratings Publish - the date the USTA chooses to publish a player's rating. At this time a player's dynamic rating is "leveled". Example: a player with a 2.32 would now have to play 2.5 and a player with a 3.37 would now have to play 3.5.
• Early Start League – This is the reason why ratings are more difficult to understand for ESL players!  In 2006 Louisville will have the opportunity to play Adult and Senior League Tennis in the Fall outside, so the USTA allows us to begin play for each championship year 4 months early, provided we publish early start ratings.

Some Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is a player's rating different in TennisLink than it is on their roster?
   TennisLink will only display a player's year-end rating when you search for a player. This rating may not match every roster a player is on because if they appeal and it is granted the rating may not match.
2. What if I want to be added to a team after the season starts?
   Regulations state that all players must use their most current rating in TennisLink at the time of registration.
3. What if I don’t agree with my rating?
   Appeal it to the State League Coordinator by filling out the online form at www.kentuckytennis.com. Please do not include a long explanation of why you want your rating changed.

   Appeals can only be granted if your rating is within .05 of the level you request (.10 if you are 60 years of age or older).
   
   The Louisville League and/or Local League Coordinator cannot help you appeal your rating, nor do we have any information to help you understand why your rating changed. We try to provide education and will do our best to answer questions but without access to the actual computer data we are only guessing too!

4. I am pregnant, just gave birth, hurt my back, sprained my ankle etc. Does the USTA give medical appeals?
   Medical appeals are granted to those players who have a permanent disabling injury and are very rare.

USTA NTRP Guidelines

1. The National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) Guidelines define the characteristics of the various NTRP skill levels.
2. The USTA NTRP Computer Rating System is the official system to determine computer ratings for players throughout the country who participate in the USA League Tennis Program. It is a mathematical system that assigns computer ratings to players by direct and indirect comparison of match results with other players.
   Note: A computer-derived rating is valid for five years (three years for players 60 and over) or until another computer rating is generated.
3. Players in the USA League Tennis Program without a computer rating (generated within the last five years) must self-rate in accordance with the NTRP Guidelines. Factors such as a player's on-court performance, tennis background and any additional information should be considered in the self-rating decision. When players are rating themselves, if they question at which level they should play, they should place themselves in the higher NTRP level of play. (See Valid Computer Rating Chart)
4. Players without a computer rating are required to declare a self-rating on TennisLink when entering the program regardless of the NTRP level they enter. They begin to generate a computer rating after their first match with a computer rated player.
5. Players with a computer rating (generated within the last five years) must enter at that rating or higher. (See Valid Computer Rating Chart)
6. In the adult/senior division, computer ratings will be calculated at regular intervals for all participants during local league competition, at the end of the local league season and either during or at the end of the area sectional championships.
7. At adult/senior national championships, players will continue to generate computer ratings through their last match played.
8. After the adult/senior national championships, benchmark and year-end computer ratings will be calculated using USTA NTRP Computer Methodology Procedures approved by the USA League Tennis Committee.
9. In the mixed doubles division, computer ratings will be calculated for participants who play in that division exclusively. Year-end ratings will be based on local league and championship level competition.