USTA Dynamic Tennis Rating Frequently Asked Questions

Dynamic Tennis Ratings for USTA &NTRP based teams

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  1. My USTA NTRP player rating is 4.0, why is my dynamic rating estimate or TLA strength rating less than 4.0?

    USTA NTRP ratings range from 1.0 to 7.0 in half point increments, as defined by the USTA here. The USTA FAQ explains that for each level, "an individual will be rated within those levels at 50 different hundredths of a point. For example, a 3.5 player can fall anywhere between a 3.01 and a 3.50." Similarly, a 4.0 player's true USTA dynamic rating can fall anywhere between 3.51 and 4.00. TLA's player strength ratings follow the same methodology.

    Find an example and more details at this post about how to lower or change a USTA player rating.

  2. Why is one of my matches not on my player report?

    If a match result was entered with a wrong year or the wrong name for one of the players, dynamic rating algorithms generally won't find the match.

    Find out how to prevent and fix wrong match results entered into USTAs Tennislink score reporting system

  3. How does the Player Strength Rating differ from the USTA NTRP or dynamic rating?
    Per the USTA website, the standard USTA NTRP and dynamic ratings do not include mixed or Tri-Level league matches; some sections do not include combo or sanctioned tournament matches. Players who exclusively play mixed doubles receive a mixed doubles NTRP rating. So substantial differences in what's included in USTA ratings exist between sections of the USTA. TLA's goal is for the TLA Player Strength Rating to reflect the "true strength" of a player so all matches are included. This is the main reason that the top rated team in our league and championship reports so often win.
  4. Are Tennis League Analytics player ratings an attempt to reverse engineer or "hack" the true USTA NTRP rating or USTA dynamic tennis rating of a player?

    No. The Tennis League Analytics player-strength rating includes a different and broader set of matches than the USTA dynamic ratings & NTRP rating system. According to the USTA web page at this link, USTA NTRP and dynamic ratings generally do not include Combo, Mixed, and Tri-Level results though some sections make exceptions. Tennis League Analytics' player strength ratings attempt to identify the "true strength" of a player by taking into account all two-out-of-three-sets matches for men's, women's, mixed, combo, and tri-level leagues.

  5. What's the point of Tennis League Analytics Player Strength Rating?

    TLA's Player Strength rating calculates the "true" strength of a player by taking into account all matches played - singles, doubles, mixed, combo, and tri-level as well as the strength rating of opponents. The rating can be thought of as a statistical calculation that reflects player performance in USTA tennis leagues. While similar in concept to USTA's dynamic tennis rating, it is unlikely that the algorithms are the same.

  6. Does Tennis League Analytics use the same formula that the USTA uses?

    TLA does not know what formula the USTA uses. We developed a rating methodology that appears to statistically track the USTA dynamic rating. Our tests showed a high accuracy level in predicting which players receive a USTA NTRP level increase or decrease. Our ratings even more accurately model the outcome of singles and doubles matches in all leagues as well as which team will win a local league flights and championship events such as Sectionals.

  7. Does the USTA endorse Tennis League Analytics?
    TLA has no commercial affiliation or relationship with the USTA. We use publicly available USTA league scores to identify tennis player strength ratings through statistics algorithms.
  8. My team won our local league and is headed to sectionals. Can you provide team reports on all or some of the opponents in our flight?

    Yes! We do this all the time for sectionals and nationals. But please request reports early. We often receive USTA Sectional Championship Flight Scouting Report orders shortly before an event and sometimes can't get to all the requests.

  9. What's the lead time for reports?

    The majority of reports ordered between Sunday and Friday 12 p.m. ET ship within 24-hours after payment receipt - we can provide a lead time if requested. Orders placed over the weekend usually ship the following Monday or Tuesday. Orders are emailed to the address associated with the payment.
    If you want a Championship Flight Scouting report, please order at least a few days before your event. We can sometimes respond to requests for a championship final or semi-final on a Saturday or Sunday. Contact Us to find out if we can respond in time for your big match.

  10. What matches are included in the TLA Player Strength Rating? TLA Player Strength ratings reflect the true strength of a player's ability to win tennis matches regardless of the format of competition. All best two-out-of-three sets USTA league matches are reflected in the rating. This includes Singles, Doubles, Men's,/Women's, Mixed, Combo, and Tri-Level USTA League matches.
  11. How does the Player Strength Rating differ from the USTA NTRP or dynamic rating?
    Per the USTA website, the standard USTA NTRP and dynamic ratings do not include mixed or Tri-Level league matches; some sections do not include combo or sanctioned tournament matches. Players who exclusively play mixed doubles receive a mixed doubles NTRP rating. So substantial differences in what's included in USTA ratings exist between sections of the USTA. TLA's goal is for the TLA Player Strength Rating to reflect the "true strength" of a player so all matches are included. This is the main reason that the top rated team in our league and championship reports so often win.
  12. Is Tennis League Analytics (TLA) affiliated with the USTA or Tennislink?
    No. TLA has no commercial affiliation or relationship with the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

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