Northern California

ITF World Tennis Number

What's your number?

Developed by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the world governing body of tennis, the ITF World Tennis Number (WTN) is one of the most advanced and accurate rating systems in the world. It’s free to use for all ages and genders and is being adopted by the USTA and in over 135 countries.

 

WTN is a 40-1 global rating scale. For now, players with recorded matchplay in the USTA and ITF database will be given a number – one for singles and one for doubles - and will be updated weekly using millions of matches worldwide. Beginners start at 40 and professional tennis players will be closer to 1. In the coming weeks, you will be able to view your ITF World Tennis number on your usta.com profile. 

 

The USTA has announced that players will be able to view their WTNs on their Player Profile beginning June 8. The launch of WTN for widespread use in tournaments is scheduled for June 21. Additional tools for viewing match results, searching, and comparisons will be available on the ITF’s website on or shortly after June 21.

 

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing information and hosting webinars to help you learn about the ITF World Tennis Number, prepare for its release, and to show you all the exciting features in the works that will help elevate your game.

 

In the meantime, below are a number of resources to get you up to speed on the new rating system and how it will be used in USTA Northern California.

 

USTA National offers a host of resources to help you learn more about the adoption of the ITF World Tennis Number, share all of the exciting benefits that make it great and answer any questions you may have.

 

Many competitive programs delivered on usta.com will use the ITF World Tennis Number. We are excited to invite you to attend an upcoming webinar on how the ITF World Tennis Number will be used for competition in the U.S.

 

As part of the webinar, we will address many of your questions as to what the ITF WTN is, how it differs from NTRP, and how your participation in other programs can impact your ITF WTN during a panel-led Q&A. We are looking forward to seeing you! 

 

Upcoming Webinars:
 
Adult Pathway Webinars:

 

Junior Pathway Webinars:

 

Providers: How to Run a WTN Tournament using Serve Tennis
  • May 25, 2022, 1:00 PM EST - 2:00 PM EST - Register
  • June 9, 2022, 1:00 PM EST - 2:00 PM EST - Register
  • June 22, 2022, 1:00 PM EST - 2:00 PM EST - Register

 

Since 2014, NorCal has been a pioneer within the USTA in offering level-based play opportunities to its players. The return to play after the lockdown has included a re-introduction of level-based play in our section, but also the addition of using the ITF's World Tennis Number (WTN). The USTA has incorporated WTN into its tournament platform, making its use seamless for tournaments with just the click of a button.

 

NorCal Level-Based Tournaments: Opportunities for Weekends of Competitive Matches
  • Super Series (Level 4 and Level 5 singles-only tournaments): These tournaments will be held in all age divisions using WTN, the top 32 rated boys and top 32 rated girls entered in each division. Players will play three singles matches using the best of three-set match format over two days.  In some date blocks, all divisions will be held at the same site. In other date blocks, they will be held at separate sites. When more than one age division is being held as part of the same tournament, players may enter two divisions without permission; entering more than one division when those divisions are not part of the same tournament requires the written permission of both tournaments.
  • Ratings Round-Robin Tournaments (Level 6 singles and doubles tournaments): These two-day events will have a minimum of 96 total players selected; however, the total number of players accepted must be divisible by four. They will all be designated as boys’ or girls’ 18 division tournaments, but they are for players of all ages. Players will be flighted into round robins of four by their WTNs with no consideration to age so as to group players of like-ability (not age). They will play three singles matches using the best of three tiebreak set match format with a 10-Point tiebreak played in lieu of the 3rd set. The four players in each round-robin will be randomly paired into two doubles teams and will play one doubles match using the best of three short set match format, with a 7-Point tiebreak played in lieu of the 3rd set.

 

Other Uses of WTN in NorCal Tournaments
  • Selection for Level 4 Excellence will also be based IN PART on ratings. As soon as WTN is officially launched and USTA NorCal gives the go-ahead, WTN will be used to select up to 12 players into each Excellence Tournament division. The result will permit younger division players with high ratings to be accepted, as well as players of the division with high ratings and lower rankings. The inclusion of ratings-based players should also improve the competitiveness of the tournament.
  • Seeding of Level 3 and Level 4 Tournaments: As soon as WTN is officially launched and USTA NorCal gives the go-ahead, WTN will be used as a tool to see. Look for an upcoming announcement and/or information on the tournament website.

 

Introducing another rating may seem confusing, but we believe the ITF World Tennis Number will complement USTA NTRP. It’s important to know that the International Tennis Federation developed and manages the ITF World Tennis Number. 

 

To be clear, the USTA NTRP is NOT planned to go away. There are a number of offerings where USTA NTRP remains the key rating, including USTA League, where a static rating would be more useful for a season-long competition. The ITF World Tennis Number, conversely, allows for you to track your progress in real time week after week, and therefore can be utilized in different ways. We are excited that soon your league matches will count towards your ITF World Tennis Number.

 

For more information specifically about the relationship between USTA NTRP and the ITF World Tennis Number, download our handy guide here.

Frequently Asked Questions

To access our full list of FAQs, visit customer care click here.

 

  • The ITF World Tennis Number provides a global standard for players. It is a 40-1 scale, with 40 being a beginner player and 1 being an elite professional. This scale is for all players, regardless of age, gender, or ability. Players will have a separate ITF World Tennis Numbers for singles and doubles.

  • The ITF World Tennis Number was developed by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The ITF is the international governing body of tennis that works with national associations worldwide to support the growth of the sport.

 

  • Participation in USTA and ITF events will result in an ITF World Tennis Number rating. Players need match results in order to generate an initial rating. Initial ITF World Tennis Number ratings may be at a lower “Confidence Factor” until more match results are recorded.

  • The ITF World Tennis Number algorithm uses match result data as provided by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to calculate your ITF World Tennis Number. Results provided by the USTA from as far back as 2016 can be used in calculating your rating. The more data used, the more accurate the rating. Pre-match ratings of both players are used by the algorithm to project the outcome of the match. Your ITF World Tennis Number changes depending on your match score and how it compares to the projection. Current results carry more weight than older results. Over time, a result carries less and less weight in your rating calculation. Match results are analyzed at set level; the algorithm takes into account each individual set as its own result.

  • There is no direct one-to-one comparison between NTRP and WTN due to many differences in each rating system. For instance:
    • WTN and NTRP operate using two, distinct algorithms.
    • The match results that make up a player’s Computer Rated (C) NTRP rating and WTN will not always be the same.
    • WTN has a separate singles and doubles rating, while NTRP takes singles and doubles results into account for a single rating.
    • NTRP and WTN handle mixed doubles matches differently.
    • WTN ratings are calculated and published once per week, whereas NTRP is published once per year.

  • Here are a few ways the United States plans to use the ITF World Tennis Number in the near future:

    • Ratings-based events   

    • Selection and seeding in USTA Junior Tournaments

    • ITF acceptance

  • Player Development: Statistics to track your progress and help improve your game

  • Future seeding, selection and flighting by ITF World Tennis Number in USTA Tournaments and level-based tournaments

  • ITF World Tennis Number will be used in ITF tournament selection

  • GameZone: Easily identify players at your level for closer matches, more fun and more improvement

  • Track favorite players, friends, professionals, local competition, and team comparisons

  • International system: Players from all over the world will be using the ITF World Tennis Number

  • Match wins make up your USTA ranking. Ranking points are awarded by either points per round or points per win, depending on the tournament level. Match scores make up your WTN rating. Match scores are analyzed at set level. The algorithm takes into account each individual set as its own result.

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