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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., – The USTA announced that individuals who have played in USTA events and programs are now able to access their ITF World Tennis Number at USTA.com. This will be the first look at the ITF World Tennis Number for the vast majority of players in the U.S.

Developed by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the world governing body of tennis, the ITF World Tennis Number (WTN) is one of the most advanced and accurate rating systems in the world.

Based on a 40 point scale, with 40 representing the skillset of a beginning player and 1 being comparable to an elite professional, the ITF World Tennis Number is a global rating system, incorporating player results and data from more than 135 countries. This scale is for all players, meaning that players with the same WTN would have a similar skill level, regardless of age and gender. Players will have a separate ITF World Tennis Number for singles and doubles.

Players will be able to find their ITF World Tennis Number via a widget on their USTA account player profiles on USTA.com, which will also include additional information including GameZone. Each player’s GameZone gives the range of WTNs that the algorithm has identified to make for a competitive match for the player.

The ITF World Tennis Number algorithm uses match result data as provided by the USTA to calculate an individual’s singles and doubles ratings. Results provided by the USTA from as far back as 2016 have been used to calculate those ratings. The more data used, and the more recent the data, the more accurate the rating. Prior to a match between two players, pre-match ratings of both players are used by the algorithm to project the outcome of the match. An individual’s ITF World Tennis Number changes depending on a match score, and how it compares to the projection. More recent results carry more weight than older results. Over time, a result carries less and less weight in a WTN calculation. Match results are analyzed at set level.

The ITF World Tennis will be completely free, an extra benefit to both players and providers.

One of the key advantages of the ITF World Tennis Number is that it will give the players the opportunity to track their progress over time. This is because the ITF World Tennis Number will update on a weekly basis.

“The ITF World Tennis Number will be an incredible tool for players, providers, tournament directors and all those involved in the sport,” said Craig Morris, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “One of the most amazing parts of the ITF World Tennis Number is the global nature of the rating system, with more than 135 nations providing data, which will help this to be an incredibly accurate rating system. This completely free tool will make it easier for players to find competitors at their skill level and allow players to see how they are improving and developing over time. This year we are intentionally introducing the ITF World Tennis Number in a deliberate and limited fashion, so that all those involved with tennis in this country can get acclimated to this new product.”

From a college recruiting perspective, WTN will become a resource for college coaches as they will be better able to assess players worldwide, thanks to the global nature of the rating.

The ITF World Tennis Number will be introduced in limited fashion in 2022, with more applications in 2023 and beyond. For USTA ranked junior tournaments, it will be used as a tool for seeding criteria, at summer team events, and as part of the wildcard process. USTA Sections may elect to use it as a means to seed, select, and/or group players for other events. For USTA ranked adult tournaments, USTA Sections may elect to use WTN to seed and/or group players for some events.

The National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP), a rating published once a year designed for USTA League, will still be utilized for that program. The NTRP will continue to be used for NTRP Tournaments, as well.

For more information on the ITF World Tennis Number, go to USTA.com/worldtennisnumber.