You've asked, and we've provided detailed answers for the most popular questions about the UTR Rating on this FAQ page!
Skip the Google search and read on for the frequently asked questions about how the UTR Rating works. The FAQ content will boost your knowledge base and help you learn some best practices for understanding your UTR Rating.
What's the difference between UTR Rating and Verified UTR?
Every tennis player in the United States and anywhere in the world can have a UTR Rating to know their level and find fun, competitive play wherever they are. Some players also have a Verified UTR Rating.
- Verified UTR Rating reflects your results from only verified events.
- UTR Rating reflects your results from a broader range of event types, including self-posted scores, casual play, verified matches, and practice matches.
Read more about how the rating works here. Get your FREE UTR Rating here.
What is the impact of playing against opponents with a lower UTR Rating? Or higher UTR Rating?
Playing against lower-rated opponents does not necessarily hurt your UTR Rating; in some cases, it can boost it. This is also true for playing higher-rated opponents. The impact depends upon the percentage of games you win and the UTR Rating difference between you and your opponent.
If you do better than expected, your UTR Rating will go up; if you do worse than expected, your UTR Rating will go down.
Why did my UTR Rating change when I haven't played recently?
This may be the most common question in this UTR Rating FAQs roundup. The UTR Rating is a measurement of player skill today and recalculates daily. There can be several reasons why a change (up or down) would occur. Some reasons could include:
- You played a player that was unrated/projected and their rating has become more reliable through more play.
- Scores from more than 12 months ago fell off your record.
Why don't some of my matches count towards my UTR Rating?
The algorithm excludes matches in which:
- A player withdraws before the match starts
- The match starts but neither player wins at least four games before the match stops
- There is a UTR Rating difference of more than 2.00. These excluded matches still show up on the player profile but are not used in the rating calculation.
Why does the algorithm exclude matches with a UTR Rating difference of more than 2.00?
As the difference in UTR Rating increases, so does the likelihood the higher-rated player wins the match easily.
Our data indicates matches with a UTR Rating difference of more than 2.00 are almost certain to be a blowout. Results like these are not indicative of either player’s skill level and are excluded by the algorithm.
Do matches with a UTR Rating difference over 2.00 ever count towards my UTR Rating?
In one case, they can. If a lower-rated player wins the match, this result will count towards each players rating. A match will count if a UTR Rating 5.21 wins against a UTR Rating 7.611, but not if a UTR Rating 7.61 wins a match against a UTR 5.21.
How are tiebreakers counted by the algorithm?
Set tiebreakers count as one game; third set 10-point match tiebreakers count as two games.
Should providers/coaches only enter the matches they believe to be competitive?
Providers/coaches must enter all matches, otherwise, the algorithm may not be accurate. The algorithm will automatically disregard matches that are not eligible, such as matches between opponents with UTR Rating differences greater than 2.00.
How does UTR Rating address walkovers, retirements/withdrawals, and defaults?
Since UTR Rating is based purely on scores, it does not count defaults or walkovers.
If a player withdraws either 1) before the match starts or 2) during the match but before either player wins at least four games, the UTR Rating algorithm does not count it.
However, these results are still displayed on the player's profile page along with their other scores.
Why does the algorithm count 30 matches? What if I have more/less than 30 matches?
The goal is to balance the long-term sustained level of play vs. the recent trend; 30 matches yield the best balance between the long-term and recent term.
If you have played 40 matches within the last 12 months, the algorithm will use the 30 most recent matches.
If you have played only 10 matches within the last 12 months, the algorithm will use those 10 matches; 30 is simply the maximum that will be used.
Why are more than 30 matches being used to calculate my rating?
When the 30th most recent match is played on the same day as the 31st most recent match, the algorithm does not try to determine which one to keep; it keeps them both. They will fall off together when the next match is added.
How does the algorithm work for doubles?
The singles and doubles algorithms are very similar. For doubles, the algorithm compares the average UTR Rating of Team A to the average UTR Rating of Team B.
Given the UTR difference between those two averages, the algorithm expects a certain percentage of games won. The team that performs better than the algorithms expectation will see their match rating go up. Both teammates will see an increase or decrease by the same amount.
Can my UTR Rating be changed if it doesn’t look accurate to me?
UTR Ratings are automatically generated by a computerized algorithm and cannot be altered manually. We are able to add or edit incorrect or missing scores on your record, which may impact your rating.
We hope this FAQ page and the FAQ content answered your customer questions! But if you still have a specific question not answered in the above UTR Rating Frequently Asked Questions, we offer excellent customer service.
Our customers are important to us, so click here to visit our help center for more customer support. Our goal is to make your user experience seamless!
What is the effect of walkovers, retirements/withdrawals, defaults and incomplete matches to my UTR Rating?
Since our rating system is based purely on scores, it does not take into account defaults or walkovers. However, these results are still displayed on the player's profile page along with their other scores.
With regards to withdrawals, if a player withdraws either a) before the match starts or b) during the match but before either player wins at least four games, it does not factor into the UTR Rating's algorithm.
It will, however, be displayed on the player profile. This will hopefully be a disincentive for the small subset of players who withdraw quite frequently. We are aware of and monitoring junior players abusing the system.
While incomplete or unfinished matches are used for rating calculations in cases where at least four games were won by either player before the match was stopped.
What's the best way to improve my UTR Rating?
Play Well – Performing well in matches is the easiest way to improve your UTR Rating. If the match is out of hand, don’t give up! It does not matter whether you play higher- or lower-rated opponents; you can improve your UTR Rating either way by winning more games than expected.
Play Often – The more matches you play, the quicker your UTR Rating will reflect your current form. The algorithm is especially accurate for those who play often against a variety of opponents rated above and below you.
Be Patient – Since your UTR Rating is a rolling weighted average, the effect of new results is slightly lagged. Your UTR Rating may not fully reflect a recent outcome right away, but it will over time.
What are the factors when a match does not count towards my UTR Rating?
The algorithm excludes matches based on the following:
- A player withdraws before the match starts
- The match starts but neither player wins at least four games (due to a withdrawal/retirement)
- There is a UTR Rating difference of more than 2.00 and the higher-rated player wins as expected. Our data indicates matches with a UTR Rating difference of more than 2.00 are almost certain to be a blowout. Results like these are not indicative of either player’s skill level and are excluded by the algorithm.
Keep in mind that these excluded matches still show up on the player profile but are not used in the rating calculation.
What events count towards my UTR Rating?
The number and scope of tournament match results imported to the UTR Sports database are growing weekly. We currently bring in scores from the following sources:
Verified UTR Rating
- UTR Sports Events
- USTA-sanctioned Adult Leagues
- USTA-sanctioned Junior Tournaments (12-18, yellow ball), Adult Tournaments (Open and NTRP)
- ATP Tour and WTA Tour
- ITF Pro Circuit, Junior Circuit (U18), and Seniors
- US College tournaments
- Maxpreps
- US High Schools/Associations (Limited)
- Tennis Europe Junior Tour
- Tennis Australia: JDS, JT, Seniors, and Australian Money Tournaments
- LTA British Tennis Junior: 12U-18U and Adults, Grade 1-7
- Tennis Canada: Adult and Junior (U12-U18)
- Confederação Brasileira de Tênis (Brazil Juniors)
- Federação Paulista de Tenis (FPT)
- Polski Zwiazek Tenisowy (Polish Junior and Open)
- Ten-Pro Global Junior Tour
- Bulgarian Tennis Federation
- Tennis South Africa tournaments
- Norwegian Federation-sanctioned tournaments and leagues
- Tennis tournaments (Spain)
- Colombian Tennis Federation
- Unified Philippines tournaments
- COSAT Junior tournaments
- Asian Tennis Federation - ATF Junior tournaments
- Czech Tennis Federation tournaments
- Tennis New Zealand tournaments
- Sweden Tennis Federation tournaments and leagues
- Tennis Ireland tournaments
- De Koninklijke Nederlandse Lawn Tennis Bond (KNLTB) tournaments
- French Tennis Federation tournaments
- Spanish Federation-sanctioned tournaments (Limited)
- Real Federación Española de Tenis (RFET)
- Federació de Tennis de Les Illes Balears (FTIB)
- Federació Catalana de Tennis (FCT)
- Federación de Tenis de Madrid (FTM)
- Uruguay Tennis Federation-sanctioned tournaments
- Lithuania Tennis Federation-sanctioned tournaments
- Ecuador Tennis Federation-sanctioned tournaments
- Jamaican Tennis Federation-sanctioned tournaments
- Bahamas Tennis Federation-sanctioned tournaments
- Chinese Tennis Association (select tournaments)
- Japan Professional Tennis Association (JPTA)
- Sunrise Sports Japan
- New South Wales (Australia) Junior Leagues
- Danish Tennis Federation-sanctioned tournaments and leagues
- Slovenia Tennis Federation-sanctioned tournaments
- Finnish Tennis Association-sanctioned tournaments
- Federação Paulista de Tênis
- XPoint (Australia)
- Luxembourg Tennis Federation tournaments
- Hong Kong Tennis Federation tournaments
- Vietnam Tennis Federation tournaments
- Serbia Tennis Federation tournaments
- Peruvian Tennis Federation tournaments
- Greek Tennis Federation tournaments
- Estonian Tennis Federation tournaments
- Parana tournaments
- Gladiator Tennis Leagues
- Blast Sports Australia
- GLTA
- Chile Tennis Federation
UTR
- College Showcases - Various
- Unsanctioned USTA Tournaments
- Maureen Connolly Brinker "Little Mo" Tournaments
- Tennis League San Diego
- Chicago Indoor Tennos Association (CITA) Leagues
- Ultimate Tennis Leagues
- T2 Leagues
- Top Dog Tennis
- UTR Pro Tennis Tour
This post has been updated as of December 19, 2023.
