Note: Rules and tournament eligibility for the following levels of play (excluding Little Tennis and unsanctioned tournaments) may vary. It is important for the parent-coach and player to study these regulations to gain the best knowledge about how to earn entry and points into certain events and how to progress to higher levels.

Little Tennis Learning Program with QuickStart Playing Format - Beginners ages 3 to 10 start with USPTA Little Tennis^® programs, in which they learn the basics of tennis through the development of warm-up skills, motor skills, racquet skills and playing skills. Development is achieved through fun activities, and parents are often involved in helping the professional during lessons. USPTA Little Tennis uses graduated equipment as children progress in the game, and when partnered with the USTA's QuickStart Play Format, beginners practice what they learn on smaller courts before moving on to full-court play. For a more detailed description of USPTA Little Tennis, visit the Web site at www.littletennis.com.

Unsanctioned junior tournaments - Unsanctioned tournaments may include any events in which players do not earn sectional or national ranking points. For example, the USPTA Junior Circuit, Junior Team Tennis tournaments, junior high and high school matches and any other competitive tournaments organized through a club, park or organization. These players are competing at a local level with other players of the same age and ability. They are also just beginning to use regular-size equipment and balls, and they often use alternate (or shortened) scoring in match play. As novice players, they have the opportunity to learn the rules of the game, the basics of scoring, sportsmanship and fair play.

Sectional junior tournaments - Rules, points and number of levels will vary for these events, depending on the area of the country in which you live. There are 17 different USTA sections, and each is governed by a different set of rules. Competitive levels may also vary. Some sections have only one level of competition, whereas others have up to seven levels. In order to advance at this stage, players must win a certain amount of points, which are earned based on the number of wins at sanctioned events. Players who compete at the highest level of sectional tournaments can also win national points and may qualify for national tournaments (see the "Levels of Competitive Tennis" chart following this section for further detail). Rules and point systems for your section can be found under the "Find Your Section" link on the USTA Web site. For more junior competition information, visit www.usta.com and click on the "Junior and Collegiate Competition" button under the "Future Champions" section at the top of the page.

National junior tournaments - There are six levels of junior national events, from L1 (the highest) to L5 (the lowest). A significant number of national tournaments are dual events that offer both national and International Tennis Federation (ITF) points, which can help a player gradually move up into higher ITF tournaments. For example, the USTA Waco, Texas, ITF Junior Classic is both a National Level 4 event and an ITF Grade 4 event, so players earn Level 4 national points as well as Grade 4 ITF points. Likewise, the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships is a National Level 1 event and an ITF Grade A event, where players can earn Level 1 national points and Grade A ITF points. A select number of the higher-level sectional events also offer national points, which is an ideal way for sectional players to make the transition to national tournament play. Still there are some national events, such as the USTA National Championships, that only offer national points and no ITF or sectional points. For a complete list of the breakdown of these tournaments, as well as a detailed explanation on national tournaments and national junior ranking rules, visit www.playerdevelopment.usta.com, click on "Player Information" at the bottom of the left toolbar and open the PDF document titled "2008 USTA National Junior Tournament Schedule."

ITF junior tournaments - These international tournaments are divided into eight levels, Grades A, B and C and Grades 1-5, with Grade A being the highest and Grade 5 being the lowest. Grade C is team competition. See the "Levels of Competitive Tennis" chart following this section for a description of how these sub-levels progress. Any players wishing to enter Grade A through Grade 3 will certainly need a world ranking. Players interested in competing in Grades 4 and 5 may qualify based on their national or sectional ranking. In some cases, if a tournament receives a low number of initial entrants, there is space available in the draw for national or higher-level sectional players. All ITF junior entrants must be age 18 and under. For detailed information on ITF tournaments and rankings rules, visit www.playerdevelopment.usta.com and click on "ITF Junior Rules" under the "High Performance" topic.

College tennis - The majority of college tennis players earn some scholarship money to play on a school's team. There are various college-level events and tournaments, depending on the conference or division. For a list of the top team and individual college events, see the "Levels of Competitive Tennis" chart following this section. In addition to other eligibility requirements, college players who have played in pro-level tournaments must not have kept more than a certain amount of tournament prize money or endorsement money (in addition to their actual expenses) to remain eligible for collegiate play. For a full list of eligibility requirements based on division, visit the NCAA Clearinghouse Web site.

Futures and Challengers/ITF Women's Circuit - For the men's circuit, Futures events are known as the "entry" level to the professional events. These tournaments offer the least prize money, starting at $10,000. At the Challenger level, also known as the "minor leagues" of pro tennis, men begin to work their way up toward joining the ATP tour. Challenger events begin at $37,500 and reach as high as $150,000, not including hospitality. If hospitality is included, the event purse would usually increase by about $25,000. The women's equivalent to the Futures and Challengers is referred to as the ITF Women's Circuit, and includes events ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, not including hospitality. Some men and women who compete at this level might occasionally receive a wild card or qualify for various ATP and WTA events.

ATP/WTA Tour events - Players at this professional level rank among the world's best. Most or all of their income comes from tournament wins and endorsements. With tennis being their full-time job, it requires them to travel the world to play in tournaments. The rankings cutoff for every tournament varies. For Grand Slams, the top 104 players receive automatic entry. For other tournament cutoffs, see the charts below: