The best six singles results
Take the ranking points from each singles tournament in the last 12 months, keep the 6 best, and add them up. There is no averaging and no fading: a result from 11 months ago counts the same as last weekend's, until it drops out of the 12-month window.
On top of that, 15% of the points from the 6 best doubles (or mixed doubles) tournaments are added. That combined number is the National Standings List, the list a tournament reads when it picks its field by ranking.
Playing more tournaments doesn't add up on its own. A junior who plays 15 tournaments in a year and one who plays 6 are both ranked on their 6 best.
What one tournament is worth
At Levels 1 to 5, main-draw points go by the furthest round reached, and the round a player starts in earns nothing on its own. So losing the first match earns nothing from the main draw. Each consolation round won adds a set amount on top. At Levels 6 and 7, points go by wins instead: 20 for each main-draw win at Level 6 and 12 at Level 7, counting the first 4 wins, with a bonus for reaching the final or winning it.
For example, at a Level 5 with a 64-player draw, a junior who wins their first match and loses the next has reached the round of 32: 30 points. A Level 5 champion earns 300.
Will this tournament help the ranking?
Only if the result beats the 6th-best one already counting. A seventh good result adds nothing unless it is bigger than the sixth, and when it is, the gain is the difference between the two, not the new result's full points.
A tournament that won't move the ranking can still be worth playing for the matches and the experience.
Byes, walkovers and retirements
A bye earns nothing. It moves a player through the draw, but only an on-court win (or a walkover) earns points for advancing. A bye into the round of 16 followed by a loss is worth 0, the same as any first-match loss.
A walkover does pay. If the opponent withdraws, the player gets that round's points as if they had won on court.
A retirement or default after the match has started counts as an on-court win.
Getting on the list
To appear on a division's list at all, a junior needs to be the right age, to have played at least one ranking tournament in that division or the one below it, and to have at least one ranking point from a win on court. A player whose only wins are walkovers isn't listed yet.
The lists publish at least monthly, and in practice weekly, on Wednesdays.
Common questions
How many tournaments count toward a USTA junior ranking?
The 6 best singles tournaments in the last 12 months, plus 15% of the 6 best doubles tournaments.
Does playing more tournaments raise a ranking?
Not by itself. Only the 6 best singles results count, so more tournaments help only when one of them beats the 6th-best result already counting.
Do older results count less?
No. There is no fading within the 12 months: a result from 11 months ago counts the same as last weekend's. It drops off once it is more than 12 months old.
Does doubles count toward a USTA junior ranking?
Yes, at 15%. The points from the 6 best doubles or mixed doubles tournaments count at 15% toward the National Standings List, the list tournaments read when they pick by ranking. Doubles doesn't count toward the singles seeding list.
Does losing the first match earn any points?
Not from the main draw at Levels 1 to 5: the round a player starts in earns nothing. Consolation rounds won still add points. At Levels 6 and 7, points go by wins, so a first-match loss earns nothing until the junior wins a match.
Does a bye count for points?
No. A bye earns nothing. A walkover does: if the opponent withdraws, the player gets that round's points.
Does a retirement count as a win?
Yes. A retirement or default after the match starts counts as an on-court win.
Why isn't my junior on the ranking list?
To be listed, a junior needs to be the right age for the division, to have played at least one ranking tournament in that division or the one below it, and to have at least one ranking point from a win on court. Wins by walkover alone don't get a junior listed.
How often are USTA junior rankings updated?
The lists publish at least monthly, and in practice weekly, on Wednesdays.
Will one more tournament raise my junior's ranking?
Only if the result is bigger than the 6th-best result already counting. The ranking goes up by the difference between the two.
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