Understanding Tennis Ratings: A Player's Guide

Why your rating matters

Your tennis rating isn't just a vanity metric. It serves three practical purposes:

• Fair competition: Ratings help organizers create brackets and groups where matches are competitive rather than one-sided.
• Progress tracking: A number that moves over time gives you concrete evidence of improvement (or areas where you've plateaued).
• Finding opponents: Knowing your level helps you find practice partners and enter events where you'll have good matches.

Think of your rating as a GPS coordinate for your game. It doesn't tell you everything about how you play, but it tells you where you are relative to other players — and that's enormously useful for deciding where to go next.

NTRP: The traditional approach

The NTRP (National Tennis Rating Program) rates players from 1.0 to 7.0. Most recreational players fall between 2.5 and 5.0. Here's a simplified breakdown:

• 2.0–2.5: Learning fundamentals. Can rally if the ball comes directly to you.
• 3.0–3.5: Consistent on moderate-paced shots. Starting to use spin and placement intentionally.
• 4.0–4.5: Strong fundamentals with variety. Can execute strategies and adjust mid-match.
• 5.0+: Advanced play with power, consistency, and tactical depth. Competitive at tournament level.

NTRP works well as a common language — when someone says they're a 4.0, you have a rough idea of their game. The limitation is that it's traditionally assessed through observation rather than calculated from results, which introduces subjectivity.

Algorithmic ratings: Elo and Glicko-2

Modern rating systems calculate your level mathematically based on match results. No subjective assessment — just outcomes.

Elo

The Elo system starts every player at a baseline rating. After each match, the winner gains points and the loser loses points. The amount depends on the expected outcome — if you beat someone rated much higher than you, you gain a lot of points. If you beat someone rated much lower, you gain very few.

Elo is elegant and simple, but it has a flaw: it treats all ratings with equal confidence. A player with 200 matches and a player with 2 matches are treated identically.

Glicko-2

Glicko-2 fixes this by adding a "rating deviation" — a measure of how confident the system is in your rating. A new player has high deviation (low confidence), so their rating changes more dramatically with each match. An established player has low deviation (high confidence), so results have a smaller effect.

Glicko-2 also accounts for "volatility" — how consistently a player performs. A player who fluctuates between beating 5.0 players and losing to 3.0 players will have higher volatility than someone who consistently performs at their level.

Provisional ratings and what they mean

When you first start in a rating system, your rating is "provisional." This means the system doesn't have enough data to be confident about your level.

Provisional ratings are more volatile — they can swing significantly with a single result. This is intentional. If you self-rated as a 3.5 but you're actually a 5.0, the system needs to correct quickly. After 10–15 matches, your rating stabilizes and becomes "established."

Don't panic about early rating swings. They're the system doing its job — finding your true level. Once established, your rating will move more gradually, reflecting genuine improvement or decline rather than statistical noise.

How to actually improve your rating

There's no shortcut to a higher rating. It reflects your match results. But there are smarter and less smart ways to approach improvement:

Play regularly

Rating systems work best with consistent data. Playing once a month gives the system very little to work with, and your rating deviation stays high. Aim for at least 2–4 rated matches per month.

Play opponents near your level

You improve fastest by competing against players slightly above your current level. Consistently playing much weaker opponents pads your record but doesn't develop your game. Consistently playing much stronger opponents can be discouraging and the rating impact of expected losses is minimal.

Focus on match play, not just practice

Practice builds technique. Matches build the ability to execute technique under pressure. Rating systems measure the latter. Make sure your training includes competitive matchplay, not just drills and rallies.

Review and adapt

Use your match results to identify patterns. Are you winning against baseliners but losing against serve-and-volley players? Do you perform worse in third sets? This kind of analysis — which a match journal helps with — turns raw match data into actionable improvement targets.

Reading your rating history

A rating chart that goes steadily up looks satisfying, but real improvement is rarely that clean. Expect:

• Initial volatility: Big swings in the first 5–10 matches as the system finds your level.
• Plateaus: Periods where your rating stays flat despite consistent play. This is normal — it means you're at a level where you need a skill breakthrough to advance.
• Temporary dips: A bad stretch of form, tough opponents, or returning from injury can temporarily lower your rating. It will recover when you return to form.
• Seasonal patterns: Many players have a peak season and an off-season. Rating trends should be viewed over months, not weeks.

The most useful view is a 6-month trend. Are you higher now than you were 6 months ago? If yes, you're improving regardless of short-term fluctuations.

Using ratings to find the right competition

One of the biggest benefits of having a rating is knowing which events and opponents are right for you. Look for tournaments and ladders that offer categories matching your level — a 3.5 player will have more fun (and learn more) competing in a 3.0–4.0 bracket than in an open event dominated by 5.0+ players.

If your club or community uses a rating system, you can also use it to find practice partners. Someone within 0.5 of your rating will typically give you a competitive match, which is the best environment for improvement.

Playgrade's rating system uses Glicko-2 on a 1–10 scale, tracking ratings per sport and format (singles and doubles separately). Your rating updates automatically after each match in tournaments and ladders, with full history so you can track your progress over time.