Northern California
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NorCal Adult Competition
Whether you play Singles or Doubles or want to compete locally or nationally, USTA Tournaments are for you.
BENEFITS
Face off against competitors of a similar age and ability or test your skills in fun family events. As a USTA Member, you will receive all of the benefits of membership while supporting the growth of tennis in your local community.
ADULT TOURNAMENTS
USTA Northern California sanctions tournaments at private and public facilities all over the section. A variety of tournament categories are offered.
Rules & Regulations
Each year the USTA publishes Friend at Court, a book that includes not only the USTA Regulations, but also the ITF Rules of Tennis and "The Code," the players’ guide for matches when officials are not present. It is highly recommended that each player or tennis family have a copy of this publication as a reference. You can purchase the easy-to-carry Friend of Court by calling toll free, 1-866-898-8061.
USTA Regulations prohibit a player from entering two tournaments that have dates that overlap by one or more days unless a player has the prior written consent of both Tournament Committees.
2019 Friend at Court - Tennis Rules and Regulations Handbook (PDF)
USTA NorCal Adult Tournament Rules (As of 7/1/2019)
Sportsmanship
The USTA believes strongly in the importance of good sportsmanship in making tennis more enjoyable for all. Players, parents and coaches alike all share responsibility in ensuring that good sportsmanship is an integral part of competition - regardless of level of play.
Parents: Set the example for your kids by creating a positive and encouraging environment.
Players: Handle victory and defeat with grace and dignity and treat opponents with fairness and courtesy.
Coaches: Stress importance of Sportsmanship as highly as the development of strokes and strategy.
- USTA NorCal Point Penalty Suspension System (as of 8/18/2016)
- Track Adult Tournament Suspension Points Online
- Sportsmanship Committee Procedures (as of 6/1/2019)
- Suspended Players List (updated monthly)
- USTA NorCal Zero Tolerance Policy for Junior Tournaments
Grand Prix Points Race - Calculated Monthly
- Ranking and Points Race Rules (As of 11/1/2019)
Attention NTRP Tournament Players
Any player participating in a USTA NorCal sanctioned NTRP tournament will be required to have an NTRP rating. If a player is in violation of this rule he/she will be notified in writing by USTA NorCal.
Any singles, doubles and/or mixed doubles player who has been notified that he/she does not have a valid USTA NTRP rating must SELF-RATE prior to registering in a USTA NorCal NTRP tournament. A player violating this rule or any player playing below their NorCal self-rating level will receive an automatic 30 day suspension and any points earned from that tournament toward the Grand Prix points race and the seeding/tentative/final rankings lists will be removed.
Click here for SELF-RATE instructions (PDF).
NTRP Division
NTRP (National Tennis Rating Program) tournaments offer players the ability to play tournaments at their appropriate NTRP rating level.
Most USTA NorCal tournaments offer all available NTRP levels from 2.5-5.0. These tournaments are grouped by level to provide the player with a competitive but comfortable opportunity to compete with others. All players participating in a USTA NorCal sanctioned NTRP tournament must have an NTRP rating. If you do not have an NTRP rating, please click here to obtain a self-rating.
Tournaments with an NTRP Gold Cup Series designation are worth 2X the normal ranking point value. Players who compete in tournaments with a Tournament of the Year designation will earn 1.5 times the standard point value for any division designated as a TOY in a tournament but only for that division.
Age Division
Adult/Senior Age Division Tournaments are open to all levels but broken down by age in five year increments, for example; 30 through 90.
A player is deemed eligible for an age division event if the player will reach the minimum age by December 31 of the year during which the division is scheduled to start. Age Division Tournaments offer players the ability to work towards a national ranking.
Open Division
Tournaments are open to all USTA players. Players of all abilities and all ages can play in Open events though the category is considered the toughest of all adult tournaments.
In the Open category, play against former and current pros, teaching professionals, former and current collegiate, NTRP players and top ranked juniors. Click here for the 2020 NorCal Open Tournaments that will count towards the National Top 500 Ranking List.
Family Division
Tournaments include the following divisions; father-son, father-daughter, mother-son, mother–daughter, parent-child. Parent and child may enter if they are related; by blood, legal adoption, or current step relationship.
A child may play with different parents in different tournaments or different divisions in a tournament. There is also a division with a minimum age restriction for parent. If the parent and child are related and the parent will reach the minimum age by December 31 of the year during which the division is scheduled to start. Family Divisions also include; grand-parent and grand-child and husband–wife.
One Day Tournaments
One Day Tournaments are a great way for league or recreational tennis players to try out tournament competition.
For tennis players who may not have a whole weekend to commit, these one day events provide all the same excitement but in a shortened format. These tournaments are also a great way to meet and play against different people.
WHEELCHAIR DIVISION
Created in 1976 in California, wheelchair tennis is one of the fastest growing and most challenging of all wheelchair sports. Wheelchair Division offers the following divisions.
Men’s, Women’s, and Quad Open; Men’s, Women’s, and Quad A, Men’s and Women’s B, Men’s C; Junior Open/A (18 & Under); Senior Open/A (40 & Over) Doubles; and Senior B/C (40 & Over) Doubles. Wheelchair Division Tournaments offer players the ability to work towards a national ranking.
National Tournament Schedule
Resources
Contact Information
Michelle Wilson
Adult Tournaments Coordinator
(510) 263-0446