Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enter an LTA junior tournament?
Just login to the LTA website, visit the relevant tournament page and select the green "ENTER" button in the top right of the page. Tournaments are usually open for entries 46 days before the event date, i.e. just over 6 weeks before. Closing dates vary by grade, ranging from 7 to 21 days before the event.

What do the tournament grades mean?
LTA junior tennis tournament grades indicate the competition's level, ranging from local, beginner-friendly events (Grades 6 or 5) to high-level national championships (Grades 2 or 1). 

LTA Grade 6 competitions give players a chance to play other juniors of a similar age and ability level with a Matchplays format designed to give players a positive competitive experience with the emphasis on participation. They usually last 2-3 hours and involve multiple matches. There is no minimum standard or club membership required. These events are often advertised as "LTA Youth Matchplays".

LTA Grade 5 competitions are one-day events designed to bring together local juniors of all levels for competitive matches in a tournament format. These "Local Tour" competitions give players their first opportunity to earn LTA Ranking points and work on improving their game in a matchplay environment. 

How can I be sure my entry will be accepted?
The criteria for acceptance varies by grade. For a grade 5 or 6 competition entries are accepted on a first come - first served basis. For example if there are 12 entries for an 8-person draw event, the first 8 to enter will be accepted, based upon the date and time of their entry. The other 4 would be placed on to a Reserve List in case one of the accepted entries withdraws from the event prior to the start date.

For a grade 4 or higher level compettion, the acceptance criteria is based upon LTA ranking points, irrespective of date of entry.

How do I get LTA ranking points?
LTA ranking points can be gained by playing grade 5 and above events.  Points are determined by which round you get to before you lose a match. The winnrer of a tournament always gets the most points, followed by the losing finalist, etc.

The higher the tournament grade the more points are awarded for each level of achievment, e.g. https://www.lta.org.uk/4ae315/siteassets/about-lta/file/14u-ranking-points.pdf

To view the ranking points table for a specific age group visit this page on the LTA website.

What is the Acceptance List and the Reserve List?

The "Acceptance List" is a list of payers who have been accepted into the main draw for an event. It is usually published on the tournament page under the "events" tab after the closing date has passed. All players who have "Main draw" written alongside their name have been accepted for the tournament. If there are more entries than main draw places, the remaining entries will be placed on to a "Reserve List" and they will have "Reserve list written alongside their name on the "Events" tab.

For example if there are 22 entries for a tournament that has a draw size of 16, then 6 players will be placed on to the reserve list.

If a player who has been accepted for the main draw decideds to withdraw from the event before the tournament starts, the first player on the reserve list will be given their place. Players are moved from the Reserve List to the Acceptance List based upon the relevant acceptance criteria for the grade of tournament.

Players who are on the Acceptance List or the Reserve List can withdraw from the tournament without any penalty up until the date and time of the tournament withdrawal date. After this date has passed, withdrawal penalites will apply, dependent upon the amount of notice being given by the player.