Tennis Ireland is one of the first nations in the world to launch the ITF World Tennis Number developed by the International Tennis Federation.

This is a brand new rating system, similar to golf’s handicap which will give players of the sport at all levels and ages a unified ranking of their ability.

The system will be dynamic with updates driven by all matches played where the results are entered on Tennis Ireland’s Tournament Software. This will include all open competitions but also internal club tournaments which will hopefully recommence this summer.

It will give players the opportunity to find competition in their own club or across a wider area where their respective baseline ability is seen to be broadly equal.

The ITF World Tennis Number will be rolled out in Ireland from today with an upload of existing data from recent times and games played before the various lockdowns that have shut down courts here and in many other countries.

The UK and US are also signed up to participate alongside another 100 countries that will come on stream during 2021.

Pilot Event

To launch the ITF World Tennis Number Tennis Ireland is running a pilot event at the National Tennis Centre in DCU on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th April with men’s and women’s players from both the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup panels.

This first event will allow for the ITF World Tennis Number to be tried and tested in real-time whilst allowing players the opportunity to improve their own rating and gain some valuable competition time.

Under current Level 5 restrictions no spectators will be allowed at the venue, and all of Tennis Ireland’s Covid-19 Protocols will be in place but some matches will be live-streamed on the Tennis Ireland YouTube channel over the two days.

The scale will see players given a rating from 40 to 1, with recreational players starting close to 40 and the professionals being close to 1.

It will support venues, coaches and officials in setting up competitions, and will allow new and exciting formats to be run for players of all standards. This will include competitions at Club, Regional, Provincial, National, and International levels.

All players across the country and all clubs affiliated with Tennis Ireland will get the benefit of this game-changing rating system for free.

It looks like one of those ideas that you think might already have been in place but which, now that it is, will enhance the attractiveness of playing and marking your ability at every level.

Sport for Business Partners