SA Junior Tennis Circuit

Season Start

2023-2024 Season -  The 2024 Season starts September 30, 2023 and runs through September 15, 2024. Players may begin playing at any point in the season prior to the Masters Invitational Playoffs in August 2024.

Circuit Overview

The Circuit includes three tournament types: Gran Prix, Gran Prix/UTR, and All-Levels.

The Gran Prix tournaments are built around a Playoff tournament at the end of the season, whereas the All-Levels tournaments are standalone tournaments that allow players of similar level to compete with one another regardless of age/gender.

Gran Prix Tournaments

Gran Prix tournaments take place on a monthly basis during the regular season. Players earn standings points for each of their wins in these events (with the exception of matches in the INTRO division, which are for experience only).

At the end of the season, the players with the most points are invited to compete in our City Playoff tournament, the Masters Invitational Playoffs, the top finishers of which are typically invited to join a San Antonio team which competes in a State Championship at John Newcombe's Tennis Ranch in September.. End of season standings will determine seeding positions in the draws, so earning points throughout the seasonhelps achieve better placement in the Playoff draw.

Some Gran Prix tournaments will also be UTR events, so players will have a chance to establish player ratings.

Getting Started: To get started, complete the current season’s “Initiation Fee/Waiver”, which only needs to be submitted once per season. After that, all that needs to be done is to register for whichever tournaments on the schedule fit the player’s schedule (the season schedule button is at the top of this page). Tournaments will typically open for registration 2-3 weeks before each event.

Guidelines - Age divisions 10-18 are based on the ages players will be on September 1, 2024. 

Players are invited to participate in the Masters based on their performance during the season.  The 10 eligible players with the most points in each age division will be offered the first option to compete.

Divisions and eligibility:

• Regular Gran Prix (age divisions 10-16) are generally open to players rated UTR 4.5 or lower. This will vary however for each age group regarding Masters invitations.

  Format is 2 out of 3 sets.

  Players receive 4 Gran Prix Standings points per main draw match won and 2 points per consolation round.

• Super Open: Open to all levels (4 Gran Prix Standings points per main draw match won, 2 points for consolation).

  (Note: The 16 division is at times combined with 16/18 Super Open.)

• INTRO: Level-based division limited to players below Level 2 with combined ages and genders. Format is an ad-scoring pro set. (No Standings points awarded for wins.)

Gran Prix+ - When offered, this type of Gran Prix tournament offers double Gran Prix standings points per win.  

Gran Prix Doubles - When offered, Gran Prix Doubles tournaments allow players to earn points with a partner.  Main draw wins earn 3 points per match, consolation wins earn 1 point. Depending on the tournament, players may be allowed to register for up to two divisions, one mixed and one regular doubles.  

All-Levels Tournaments

The other tournaments in the Circuit are the All-Levels tournaments. These are standalone tournaments that group players by level regardless of age or gender. This format helps ensure that most rounds are even and competitive.

All-Levels tournaments require a reduced time commitment on weekends as they are slightly shorter format (either a single ad-scoring pro set to 8 games per round or 2 out of 3 Fast 4 sets).

How levels are determined:

Player levels are determined based on the results of their match play in the Circuit as well as from some of their play in outside tournaments. In the All-Levels events, players are grouped with players closest to their level of play regardless of age or gender, sometimes exposing them to different players than they normally might face, yet against players who are of similar performance level. The more often players compete, the more accurate their level placement will be.

All-levels tournaments are ideal for all levels of players as players will be grouped with as similarly skilled players as possible based on who enters each tournament. Higher level players are placed in separate draws from lower level players, and the degree of separation is based on the mix of levels that register. (Beginning players without prior tournament experience will typically be placed at Level 1.)

Since divisions are based on level, genders and ages may be combined in the same draw, though it is possible that given enough entrants, genders might be separated as a means of limiting draw sizes.

All-Levels tournaments do not offer Gran Prix standings points, but instead are focused on level rating development.

Pass the Racquet Doubles

A third and very occasional type of tournament offered is Pass the Racquet Doubles, which is a fun format offered from time to time in which players on a team share one racquet and alternate who hits each shot during a point by handing off the racquet between shots. Singles sidelines apply. No standings points.