Overview: If you are an aspiring tennis player or if have children or a child who dream of becoming a famous tennis professional, you have come to the right place. This page can provide you with the necessary information on how to embark on this journey. I will cover two aspects of this journey: your own physical/mental preparation and the steps to become certified as a professional tennis player.
Your Preparation As Parents
First of all, I want to let the parents know that the ticket a professional career does not come cheap. Although it might not be as expensive as putting your children through college, tennis camp, tennis instructors, travels, and tennis equipments do not add up to a good amount. On the other hand, the expenses will mitigate once your children start to have sponsors.
The most important you need to understand about this journey is that it is going be a very heavy commitment. You need prepare your children when they are as young as possible. Unfortunately, there is such thing as being too late to start. I consider anyone older than 15 years of age to be too late to start a serious professional tennis career. Therefore, even when you child is still a todler, give them plastic racquets and foam balls to play with. It is imperative that your children become familiar with the sport of tennis at an early age. There is also a new program called Quickstart Tennis that helps get kids to start playing tennis at an early age. What it is, is a new and easier format with special equipments, shorter court dimension and different scoring system. Although I have only heard of this program and never really seen the results myself.
Chances are, you will be your children's first tennis coach. If you have absolute no idea on how to be a tennis coach, the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) offers an online course on tennis coaching for $30. It should provide you with enough knowledge on tennis coaching. Additionally, you can attend some recreational coach workshop. Follow this link for more information tennis workshop. http://www.usta.com/Coaches/Recreation.aspx
What I also recommend is that the parents should be as involved with the children's journey as possible. If you are an advance tennis player yourself, consider being a tennis coach for your children's team. If you are not, you can be an assistant coach. Also be a part of the local tennis club, this way you are able to learn what works and what doesn't works from parents just like you.
Another important point you need to consider is that while you are the supporter of your children, they are the ones doing half of the work. It is imperative that they love this sport or they will never be great players. If by any chance your children show interests in another sport, then I say let them pursuit that path instead. On the other hand, I have seen how heavily the adults in the family can influence the children in the family. The children are more likely to be into baseball if the adults in the family are baseball fans. Likewise for tennis. As a matter of fact, I started playing tennis at an early age because my oldest sister plays tennis also.
The last step is to get a a professional tennis coach for your children. A good tennis coach is imperative. Even the greatest tennis players in the world include Roger Federal and Rafael Nadal have tennis coaches. And finally, practice practice practice. Enter your children in every kind of of tournaments or contests that you can. Remember, your children will only get better the more they play.
Steps to Getting Certified and Enter into Professional Tournaments
I'll can only provide you with the basic steps because often times rules will vary between different areas. For more specific details, you should contact your local USTA Agency or your children coach.
1. Join the US Tennis Association (USTA).
2. Enter in USTA sanctioned tournaments to gain USTA rankings by playing in Sectional, Regional, and then National tournaments.
3. Apply for ITF Pin to sign up for futures and challengers events.
4. Obtain enough ATP points to enter into international series.
5. Enter into more competitive tournaments such as the Master's Series and the Grand Slams.
Tennis Ranks are determined by how many points each player earns in each of the tournaments. Different tournaments have different values of points. Players with the most points at the end of the year will be crowned the number player of that year.
Tournament Points
Gran Slams 1,000
Tennis Masters Cup 550-750
ATP Masters Series 500
ATP International Series Gold 250-300
ATP International Series 175-250
ATP Challenger Series 50-100
Future 12-24
More on the Junior Circuit (Source: International Federation of Tennis website)
Playing on the ITF Junior Circuit
The ITF Junior Circuit is a series of tournaments for players aged 18 & Under aimed at improving competitive opportunities and helping to develop a players' skills.
The 2008 Circuit is open to players born between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 1995. Over 300 tournaments will be held in approximately 115 countries throughout the year.
ITF Junior Circuit tournaments only accept entries submitted through a National Association. Players who are not a member of an official team must obtain written confirmation from their Association giving permission for their entry to be considered by the tournament organisers.
Tournaments are graded according to the strength of entry, with the most ranking points being awarded for the nine major championships (Grade A), which include the four Grand Slam events. Grades are listed with tournament details on the ITF Junior Circuit Calendar.
Depending on the level of the event, entries into main draw and qualifying are based on the following criteria:
Singles
a) ITF Junior World Ranking. In a situation where two of more players are ranked equally, acceptance should be based on total singles points. If two or more are still equal, acceptance should be based on the grade of the tournament where points have been won in singles, as per Regulation 11.
b) ATP//WTA rankings – Players ranked in the professional game ATP 550 or better or WTA 350 or better should always be accepted in the main-draw. Players ranked in the professional game ATP 750 or better or WTA 500 or better should always be accepted in the qualifying draw.
c) Objective Order of Merit approved by the ITF (i.e regional rankings when all entered players are from the same region.)
d) When an objective Order of Merit is not available for all entered players (ie. c above) the following criteria should be followed:
i) – 50% of remaining places within the draw should go to players from the country where the tournament is organised according to the national ranking. The remaining spots should be filled as follows:
ii) - Players from, or resident in, countries within the Region where the tournament is organized. These are drawn by lot.
iii) - Players from, or resident in, countries within the Zone where the tournament is organized. Draw by lot. (Include players from, or resident in, bordering countries, which are not in the same region/zone i.e. Azerbaijan/Turkmenistan). These are drawn by lot.
iv) - Do not accept players from outside of the Zone where the tournament is organized. These players should receive a “Not Accepted” status.
v) – Guidelines 2, 3, and 4 should also be applied to the Alternate List.
Regions: (Asia) (Oceania) (Europe) (Africa) (South America) (Central America) (North America)
Zones: (Asia/Oceania) (Euro/Africa) (The Americas)
The Alternate list should be no larger than the size of the Qualifying Draw.
A Junior World Ranking will certainly be necessary to enter Group A, 1, 2, and 3 events, but even entry into Group 4 and 5 events is likely to be based on players' rankings.
When starting out on the Circuit, it is advisable to concentrate on Group 4 and 5 events to try and earn your first ranking points. If entry into the main draw is not possible due to a lack of initial ranking points, you may be able to gain entry into qualifying at this level.
Results from these tournaments are fed into a computer to produce the Combined Junior World Rankings. Rollover rankings, which are updated on a weekly basis and published every Monday, are based on a player's best six singles results plus one quarter of the best six doubles results over the previous 12 months.
Tournaments Graded A, 1, 2 and 3 must provide hospitality (accommodation and meals) for all players in the singles and/or doubles main draw and a maximum of two coaches per nation. Some Grade 4 and 5 tournaments also provide hospitality, although this is not compulsory.
Information on all events can be obtained from the ITF Junior Circuit Calendar, but entries must be made on the official entry from, obtained direct from the tournament. The tournaments are responsible for the acceptance of players into their events.
Information given in the ITF Junior Circuit Calendar may be subject to alteration during the year. National Associations and players must therefore ensure that they carefully study the official entry form and fact sheet provided direct by the tournament to see if there have been any later alterations to detail.
In particular it is recommended that the hospitality provision for players and coaches and the closing date for entries are checked as ITF information is prepared some time in advance of the scheduled start date for most tournaments.
For any questions regarding tournaments on the ITF Junior Circuit either contact the tournament direct or the ITF Juniors department: juniors@itftennis.com
For more information visit the International Federation of Tennis website at www.itftennis.com/juniors/