UTR Rating

UTR Rating is a modified elo rating system that promotes fair and competitive play across the tennis world. Players are rated based on actual results, not age, gender, nationality, or socioeconomic status. 

When you understand your skill level, you can find hits, events, and tournaments where you’ll have fun, play competitive tennis, and improve your game. All you need to know is your UTR Rating! 

Read more here.

A UTR Rating is a number that provides a real and accurate measurement of skill level. A player’s UTR Rating is a number between 1.00 and 16.50. 

One match result is all it takes to receive a projected UTR Rating. After approximately five matches, the rating becomes fully reliable. As matches are played and entered into the system, a player’s UTR Rating will increase or decrease over time to reflect their current skill level.

Watch the explainer video here.

For each match, the algorithm calculates a match rating and a match weight for each player. A player’s UTR Rating is the weighted average of up to 30 of their most recent match ratings. Only matches within the last 12 months count toward a player’s UTR Rating.

Read detailed explanation here.

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.

Watch the video here.

What is the impact of playing against opponents rated higher than I am?

Playing against higher-rated opponents does not necessarily lower your rating and, in some cases, can actually improve it. It all depends upon the percentage of games you win, and how much higher the opponent’s UTR Rating is. Here is a quick video describing the impact: watch the video.

Here's how it works:

If the opponent is rated too far above you and they win the match easily by winning a high percentage of games, that won’t hurt your rating, as it is the expected outcome. But your rating can get a boost if you end up playing a close match. On the other hand, such a match can lower your rating if you end up not winning a high enough percentage of games.

What is the impact of playing against opponents rated lower than I am?

Playing against lower-rated opponents does not always hurt your rating. In fact, in many cases, it helps it. Again, it all depends on the percentage of games you win and how much lower the opponent’s UTR Rating UTR is than your own.

Here is how it works:

If the opponent is rated too far below you and you win the match easily, winning a high percentage of games, your rating may not change. This is due to the outcome of the match occurring as expected.

Playing an opponent with a lower rating can raise your rating if you win a higher-than-expected percentage of games. However, if you play a close match against that lower-rated opponent, this could lower your rating.

UTR Ratings may not always go up with the addition of a few new results due to a combination of factors listed below:

• Since a player's UTR Rating is always calculated based on the current ratings of the recent opponents, a decline in their ratings can have a negative impact on the player's rating as well
• Older results falling off the equation if they were better than the new ones being added
• Less weight given to some good matches results as they get older due to the time degradation factor
• Since the ratings are calculated based on a player's last 30 eligible matches, the addition of a few new matches doesn't have much of an impact on the UTR Rating.

You can check these articles below to know how the algorithm works:

• Understanding the Algorithm - Complete Summary
• How is the UTR Rating calculated?
• What's the best way to improve my UTR Rating?

UTR Rating currently recalculates daily - there can be a variety of reasons why a change (up or down) would occur. Some of these reasons could include:

• You played a player that was unrated/projected and their rating has become more reliable through more play.
• Ratings are calculated every day using the current ratings of the opponents; changes in their ratings can have an impact on your UTR Rating as well.
• Scores from more than 12 months ago fell off your record.

Remember, UTR Rating is a measurement of player skill today.

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.

Matches with more than 2.00 UTR Rating difference are not included in the algorithm when the higher-rated player wins as expected. Why?

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.

One match is all it takes to get a projected UTR Rating. After approximately five matches, your rating becomes reliable. A projected UTR Rating is shown as a (P) on the player profile.

What if I have played fewer than 30 matches within the last 12 months?

That’s perfectly fine. If you have played only 10 matches within the last 12 months, the algorithm will use those 10. 30 matches are simply the maximum. If you have played 40 matches within the last 12 months, the algorithm will use the 30 most recent matches.

Yes. 8-game pro sets and 4-game mini sets count for rating calculations, but receive slightly less weight relative to best-of-3 set matches.

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 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. 

Note: To know which matches are contributing to the rating, look for the gray tennis ball icon on the right-hand side of the match result. This icon allows you to easily see which matches are currently contributing to your UTR Rating today and is updated daily. 

The UTR Rating is 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 UTR Rating.

To better help players understand their level of play over time and how they compete against higher and lower-rated players,UTR Sportsintroduces advanced player metrics! These metrics allow the user to see a player’s historical rating fluctuations and analyze wins/losses at the individual match level.

Read more here.

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 Rating difference between those two averages, the algorithm expects a certain percentage of games won. The team that performs better than the algorithm’s expectation will see their match rating go up. Both teammates see an increase or decrease by the same amount.

Read more here.

The new rankings on the player profile stats tab show where a player stands relative to their peers in verified singles play. All rankings are gender-specific. A player can have a maximum of four rankings:

• Country Ranking by Age Category
• Country Ranking 
• World Ranking by Age Category
• World Ranking

Read more here.

Three-Month Trending UTR Rating is a subset of UTR Rating in which a player's rating is calculated using only matches from the last three months. UTR Rating is calculated using the 30 most recent matches within the last twelve months. Three-Month Trending UTR Rating is calculated using the 30 most recent matches within the last three months. 

The estimated UTR rating is here to improve the overall user experience and allow Event Providers to better match their players closer to their level. The "Get Rated" Questionnaire was tested with nearly 2000 users and was found to provide an accurate range estimate of 85% of the time.

Note: Users who had fully reliable ratings within the last 24 months will not be required to answer the “Get Rated” questionnaire. Instead, your last known verified rating will display.

Who will have an estimated UTR rating?

• new users who created a new profile
• new users who claimed a profile
• existing users with an UnRated (UR) profile

How do I get an estimated UTR rating?

For new users, you will be prompted to answer a short questionnaire to get your estimated UTR rating. You can check this article on how to create and activate your player profile.

For existing users, you will need to log in to your profile click your profile icon at the top right then select, “Profile”. Once you are on your profile page, click the “Get Rated” to answer the short questionnaire.

Read more here.

The Best Win captures the player’s best-winning match in the last 12 months. 

Here are the factors why a match is not considered a Best Win:

• The match has fallen off the record. Keep in mind that the algorithm includes the recent 30 matches in the past 12 months. The gray tennis ball beside the match indicates that it is included in your rating calculation.
• It is not counted toward your verified rating. The blue checkmark indicates that a match was from a verified event.
• Retired or incomplete matches are not eligible to be included in the Best Win. However, they can still count towards your rating. You can read more information here.
• The opponent’s rating is not fully reliable.

Note: This feature is available for Power Players. Now is the best time to upgrade and enjoy its awesome perks.

Color ball tennis creates an enhanced experience for young players to develop their tennis games using modified equipment, court sizes, and play formats. The levels of color ball tennis are defined by the ball color (red ball, orange ball, and green ball). Color Ball programming is designed to make learning tennis more accessible and fun.

What is the Color Ball Rating (CBR Rating)?

The Color Ball Rating (CBR Rating) is a rating for 12 and under players who play red, orange, and green ball matches and tournaments. The CBR Rating ranges from red (R1) to orange (O1 or O2), and finally, green (G1, G2, or G3). 

Players make progress toward their eventual UTR Rating for the yellow ball by doing three things: playing often, playing well, and competing in the next color ball level events when they are ready.

Note: This rating is known as Coloured Ball Rating in Australia, the UK, and Canada. Parents are required to register on behalf of their child. You can refer to our article here on how to create a profile for them.

Read more here.