Note: The selection procedure for USTA National Championships has changed, effective January 1, 2011. Adjustments have been made to the number of USTA National Open Qualifiers and available wild cards and are shown below.
SINGLES SELECTION PROCEDURES:
Each Tournament Committee shall accept players who have submitted timely entries and successful Wild Card applicants into the singles draw of a USTA National Championship in the following order:
- Players on Boys’ & Girls’ 16, 14 & 12 National Championship Selection List (NCSL): For a draw of 192 (16s divisions only), players on the list in positions 1 through 24 shall be accepted; and for a draw of 128, players on the List in positions 1 through 16 shall be accepted. See "National Championship Selection List" below for the criteria for appearing on this list.
- Players Who Qualified from USTA National Opens: Players not previously selected who are among the top two singles finishers in each of the four immediately preceding USTA National Opens shall be accepted, if otherwise eligible. A player whose doubles team has been defaulted for any reason in the player’s final schedule doubles match shall not be eligible if, in the judgment of the Referee, the conduct of that player contributed to the Default.
| USTA National Open |
Qualifies for the following USTA National Championship |
| February National Opens |
USTA National Spring Championships |
| May National Opens |
USTA National Clay Court Championships |
| July National Opens |
The USTA National Championships |
| November National Opens |
USTA National Winter Championships |
- Players Within Sectional Associations’ Quotas: Junior players not previously selected who are on the Sectional endorsement lists, within the established Sectional quota, and who have submitted timely entries shall be accepted in the order determined by the Sectional endorser. Click here to view the quota for each Sectional Association.
- Endorsed Players on National Standings List: The Tournament Committee shall fill remaining spots in the draw, except those spots reserved for Wild Card recipients, with endorsed players who have submitted timely entries who remain on the most recently published singles National Standings List.
- Wild Cards: The Tournament Committee shall accept those junior players granted wild cards by the USTA Wild Card Committee. Wild card recipients do not need Sectional endorsement, however the Sectional office must approve a player’s wild card application. Overall wild card limits are 8 wild cards for the 16s USTA National Spring Championships and USTA National Winter Championships and for all 14s and 12s USTA National Championships; and 12 wild cards for the 16s USTA National Clay Court Championships and The USTA National Championships. Click here to read information on the wild card application.
SINGLES ALTERNATES:
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Alternate List: The Tournament Committee shall prepare an alternate list of those players with timely entries not accepted into the draw who appear on the Sectional Endorsement Lists and who are doubles finalists from the four preceding USTA National Opens. Alternates shall be ordered using the National Standings List used to accept players into the draw to fill remaining vacancies. Late entrants who are eligible for selection shall be listed below these players by the date and time on which the late entry is made. If multiple late entries are received at the same time, they shall be ordered by lot. Late entrants are not ordered by position on the National Standings List.
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Replacement of Player Before Draw is Made: The Tournament Committee shall replace a player who was accepted as part of a Section’s quota with the next player on that Section’s endorsement list. The Tournament Committee shall replace a player who was NOT accepted as part of a Section’s quota with next highest remaining alternate.
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Replacement of Player After Draw is Made, but Before the Start of Player’s First Match: The Tournament Committee shall replace a player who withdraws, is defaulted, or is otherwise removed from the draw after the draw is made, but before the player’s first match with next highest remaining alternate.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SELECTION LIST (NCSL):
The USTA shall publish National Championship Selection Lists for singles in each division with effective dates as of January 15, May 1, and October 1 of each year. Each list shall consist of players who are eligible for the next USTA National Championship as follows:
- One National Ranking Tournament (as defined in USTA Regulation IX.C.3) in the List’s division during the four months before the effective date of the list; and
- Two other National Ranking Tournaments in the List’s division during the 12 months before the effective date of the List. These players shall be listed in the order of strength of record calculated as of the effective date using the USTA computer ranking program.
Note that the May 1 NCSL is used for both the USTA National Clay Court Championships and The USTA National Championships, except that immediately after the USTA National Clay Court Championships the list is republished and any players who are not age eligible for The USTA National Championships are removed and replaced with the next-highest eligible player.