NTRP: How to Rate Your Tennis Level (1.0-7.0 Scale)
NTRP is the most widely used skill-level scale in amateur tennis. It lets an organizer put together players of similar ability, and it helps you land in matches you can actually win.
What NTRP is
NTRP (National Tennis Rating Program) is a scale from 1.0 to 7.0 in which every half point describes a different level. A 1.0 is someone just starting out, 3.0 is intermediate, and 5.0 and above is advanced and tournament level. Most amateurs fall between 2.5 and 4.5.
A rough description of the levels
This is a rough description. The official guidelines are longer and more detailed, but for everyday league use such ranges are usually enough.
| NTRP | What the play looks like |
|---|---|
| 1.0-2.0 | Beginnings: you are learning the basics, and rallies are short and irregular. |
| 2.5-3.0 | You keep a rally going at a slow pace, your serve is safer than it is dangerous, and you make many errors when changing direction. |
| 3.5 | Steady play from the baseline, better and better control of direction, first attempts at playing at the net. |
| 4.0 | Reliable strokes on both sides, control of depth and direction, a serve with spin, tactical play. |
| 4.5-5.0 | Power and spin in your strokes, good net play, deliberate tactics, tournament experience. |
| 5.5-7.0 | Professional, national-team and top club level. |
How to rate yourself
- Read the level descriptions and pick the one that matches your play under pressure, not on your best day.
- Ask a coach or a partner you play with regularly. An outside rating is usually more accurate than your own.
- Play a few matches against people of a known level and see whom you regularly beat and whom you lose to.
- Be honest: overrating yourself ends in a string of losses, underrating yourself in boring wins and a bad atmosphere in the league.
What NTRP is for in a league and in the app
An organizer can require a certain level; for example, a 3.0-4.0 league accepts only players in that range. In Tenisime you enter your NTRP in your profile, and when you set your level, your starting ELO is matched to it. Your level can also move up automatically over time based on match results.
If you want to join a league with a required level, make sure your profile is filled in ahead of time.
Why matching levels matters
A match between players of clearly different levels is boring for both sides: the stronger one has no challenge, the weaker one has no chance, and both waste court time. Close matches, where single points decide the outcome, bring the most fun, and that decides whether a player comes back for the next season.
That is why league organizers often split players into groups by level or introduce promotion and relegation between groups. A good level in your profile lets you land in the right group from the start.
How your level changes over time
A level is not fixed forever. Regular play, practice and a coach can move a player up by half a point over a season, and a long break or an injury can take them back by the same amount. Once in a while it is worth doing a quick check: are matches against opponents at my level still close? If you win almost everything or lose almost everything, it is time to adjust.
Frequently asked questions
- Is NTRP the same as ELO? No. NTRP is a description of skill on a 1.0-7.0 scale; ELO is a number that changes after matches.
- Can I change my level? Yes, and you should when your game has clearly changed.
- Do doubles and singles have the same level? Usually a similar one, but net skills can matter more in doubles.