RESOURCES
Get started in tennis: Play, practice & Compete
Interested in playing tennis? You’ve picked a great sport! Research shows that tennis increases life expectancy up to ten years. To start, you need equipment (a tennis racquet and tennis ball), a local court, and a partner to play with. Interested in going solo? You can find a wall nearby and practice there. The wall is the toughest opponent as it never misses!
How to find courts
We recommend doing an internet search for local parks that have tennis courts as they are often the cheapest option for play. Local tennis clubs may charge a fee, but joining a junior or adult clinic can help you meet like-minded and similarly leveled players that you can practice with on your own.
lessons
If you are looking for lessons, the Professional Tennis Registry is a certifying body of teaching professionals with a directory of certified pros you can work with.
compete: adults
If you’re interested in competition as an adult, you can either play events at your local club or play in your area’s league tennis program. Leagues are often governed by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), which is divided into seventeen sections (or regions). Contact your local league coordinator for more info on how to join a USTA league.
If you continue competing, you will be eventually work into the NTRP rating: a measuring tool that indicates a person’s current playing ability. For more information about the NTRP ratings, please click the button below.
compete: juniors
If you’re interested in competition as an junior (ages 18 and under), you can play events at your local club or search for USTA play opportunities through the USTA. From entry level to most competitive, the events start at USTA Team Challenges and USTA Junior Team Tennis, followed by USTA Junior Circuit events, and finally USTA tournaments. Tournaments range in difficulty from Level 1 to Level 7, with 7 being the lowest level (recommended for intermediate tennis skill) and Level 1 being the highest level (National Championships). For more information on each type of event, please click the corresponding button below.
USTA TENNIS ADVOCACY HANDBOOK
Make the case for tennis in your community with facts, inspiration and practical advice from the newly-revised USTA National Advocacy Handbook. Click below (USTA.com/advocacy) to learn how to engage local public and private sector decision-makers, and harness public support and resources to expand tennis programming and facilities.