The way to progress on in USTA junior tennis is by obtaning a junior USTA ranking in your age group. There are tournaments that give out points virtually every single weekend of the year throughout the Southwest, so there is always an opportunity to get a ranking or improve upon it, whether by playing locally, in the Section, or even at a national level. 

Tournaments are categorized by level at both a section and national level, and points are given out according to those designations. 

USTA Southwest uses a Points-Per-Round Ranking System. What that means is players earn points for each round they advance to in tournaments, or, as we call it, earned advancement.

Some tournaments are worth more points than others based on the level of play. It is typically a sliding scale based on an increasing skill level. An explanation of the Points Per Round Ranking System is below. 

POINTS PER ROUND RANKING SYSTEM REGULATIONS (SOUTHWEST)

1. ADVERTISEMENT Players must win a round to receive points for a tournament. Byes don’t qualify as wins.

2. Withdrawals and walkovers qualify as wins for the advancing player and earn Points Per Round, but do not earn bonus points for significant wins.

3. Retirements qualify as wins for the advancing player and earn Points Per Round and bonus points for significant wins.

4. A player who advances because of a default that takes place before the commencement of the first point in the match or because the opponent is disqualified shall receive Point Per Round for advancing, but does not earn bonus points for significant wins.

5. A player who is defaulted from a tournament for code violations under the Point Penalty System or misconduct forfeits any points accumulated during the tournament. Players defaulted in singles only lose points accumulated for singles.

6. Points earned in a higher age division count towards a player's standing in the player's natural age division, as well as in the age division of the tournament itself (standings only, not final rankings).

7. Singles and Doubles Standings will use a Combined Ranking. This combined ranking will be based on a player's best Six (6) tournaments played in the last twelve (12) months. This combined ranking will use 100% of a player’s singles points and 25% of a player’s doubles points.

8. Final Combined Rankings will be based on the best Six (6) tournaments played during the calendar year. This final combined ranking will use 100% of a player’s singles points and 25% of a player’s doubles points. There are not any minimum requirements to receive a final ranking (except participating in one tournament and winning a match). Final rankings do not include any results from other age divisions.

9. All eligible players who have won at least one match in a USTA Southwest Section sanctioned tournament will have a standing.

 

10. Significant win/Bonus points are based on the previous month’s final standings.

11. Results of exhibitions, interscholastic and intercollegiate matches will not be considered for ranking purposes.

 

12. Results of Southwest Sanctioned tournaments and tournaments on the USTA National Schedule for the ranking year under consideration will provide the sole data for standings/rankings.

13. Junior may play up in any age division until the month in which they age out of the division.