A player rating is a way of measuring your tennis ability so you can see how you are improving. You need a rating to compete and it should help you enter the right level of competitions.
To get a rating you need to be a British Tennis Member (BTM). If you haven't already then join British Tennis Membership
If you have previously signed up for BTM, but did not apply for a rating at the time, you can request one by emailing Info@LTA.org.uk with your name and BTM number.
If you are an experienced player, with a competitive record, and think you should be assigned a higher rating than the entry level of 9.2 for adults and 10.2 for juniors then email Info@LTA.org.uk with as much information as possible about your playing experience, foreign rating/ranking and results. It may be possible to assign you a higher rating or equivalency.
Once you have a rating you will appear on the LTA Player Search.
There are 20 rating bands, starting with 10.2, which is the lowest, progressing to 10.1, 9.2, 9.1, 8.2 etc. until you reach 1.1, which is the highest. The start rating for someone 18 and under (junior) is 10.2 and, for someone 18 & over (adult), is 9.2.
Junior and adult players rated 10.2, 10.1, 9.2 or 9.1 can improve their ratings by recording qualifying wins as follows:
These wins can be achieved at any time, ie. not restricted to a ratings run period. Your rating will automatically change once you have the correct number of wins and your results have been recorded. The (overnight) calculation takes into account players' ratings as they stand at the time the calculation is made.
If you are a junior with a rating of 8.2 or higher, you need to achieve:
If you are an adult player with a rating of 8.2 or higher you need to achieve:
A qualifying win = a win against a player rated the same or higher than you
A qualifying loss = a loss against a player rated lower than you (before April 1st 2011 a QL was a loss against a player rated the same or lower than you).
The competition event end date dictates the season in which the match will count for your rating, ie. if you play a match in August, but the competition event ends in September, that match will not count until the mid season winter ratings run.
If you are a player with a rating of 8.2 or higher, you have the opportunity to increase your rating 4 times a year. Your new rating will depend on results achieved during the previous half season period or the entire season.
Results used to increase your rating in the mid season review will also be used during the end of season review. This is because results from the whole ratings run season will be taken into account based on your rating at the time of the ratings run.
In exceptional circumstances a player can apply to have his/her rating adjusted outside quarterly ratings run periods. The minimum requirement is 6 wins for juniors (3 for adults) achieved against higher rated players with few, if any losses, at that level, recorded in competitions graded 1 - 5. The cut off for applications is one week before the next ratings run is due to go live.
A mid-season ratings run provides players who progress quickly, in a short space of time, with the opportunity to increase in rating without having to wait until the end of the ratings run season.
The mid-season run takes into account the first 3 months of a ratings run. A player’s rating will increase if he/she has met the criteria. The mid season summer run spans less than 3 months because it takes account the peak summer season competition period.
Only adult players' ratings can decrease and, where this happens, it does so in each end of competition season ratings run. Adult players' ratings cannot decrease below a rating of 6.2.
When a player moves to yellow ball competition they will be given a 'full rating' according to the following rules:
Please refer to APPENDIX FIVE (starting at page 41) of the LTA COMPETITION REGULATIONS
There have been some recent improvements made to the AEGON British Tennis Ratings system. Read about them here