Do college players play in tournaments over the summer like they did in juniors?

[FiddlerDog]

From age 10-18, juniors play weekend tournaments. Do college players also do this over summer?
What about juniors who do not play college tennis, but still want to play during college summers?

 

[JW10S]

Yes, of course. Many college players play Futures and Challengers while some of the lower ranked ones will play Opens. Coaches want their players to compete during the summer and many play tournaments during the school year too. And tournaments are filled with players who do not play on college teams.

 

[vandre]

absolutely. at our local futures tournament this summer almost the entire roster of our local d 1 college team (not just 1-6 singles) played either singles or dubs (or both). it was won by a college player. there were also a number of college players from other schools.

 

[jcgatennismom]

@FiddlerDog There are several levels of tourneys during the summer that can be played by juniors, collegians, young pros, and adults. In descending/overlapping level of ability, there are the pro Challenger and Future tourneys (and qualifiers), UTR's own PTT tours (often ATP ranked players play these for the prize $), WC tourneys to get into the 1st two, men's prize money opens (could be hosted by UTR or USTA or other nonsanctioned) and ITA summer circuit events (put on by college ITA organization but anybody over 13 who pays $30 membership fee can play). Former junior players who dont play college tennis or pro tennis can play the open and ITA circuit events-unlikely they would get in the higher two events unless they won a WC tourney first.

One note though-not all tourneys are weekend tourneys-the ITA summer circuit are usually Fri-Monday but many other tourneys including high level USTA juniors and ITF juniors run during the week. In the summer the high level tourneys can take a week or more.

 

[sureshs]

From age 10-18, juniors play weekend tournaments. Do college players also do this over summer?
What about juniors who do not play college tennis, but still want to play during college summers?

Here, college students play the Open tournaments

 

[FiddlerDog]

@FiddlerDog There are several levels of tourneys during the summer that can be played by juniors, collegians, young pros, and adults. In descending/overlapping level of ability, there are the pro Challenger and Future tourneys (and qualifiers), UTR's own PTT tours (often ATP ranked players play these for the prize $), WC tourneys to get into the 1st two, men's prize money opens (could be hosted by UTR or USTA or other nonsanctioned) and ITA summer circuit events (put on by college ITA organization but anybody over 13 who pays $30 membership fee can play). Former junior players who dont play college tennis or pro tennis can play the open and ITA circuit events-unlikely they would get in the higher two events unless they won a WC tourney first.

One note though-not all tourneys are weekend tourneys-the ITA summer circuit are usually Fri-Monday but many other tourneys including high level USTA juniors and ITF juniors run during the week. In the summer the high level tourneys can take a week or more.

So, a UTR 9 or 10 who does not play college tennis can play in these low level pro events?
What counts towards the elusive "ATP point" life milestone? Futures? Challengers?

 

[vandre]

So, a UTR 9 or 10 who does not play college tennis can play in these low level pro events?
What counts towards the elusive "ATP point" life milestone? Futures? Challengers?

if this is accurate, a player can get a ranking point by making the round of 16 at even the lowest level futures tournament.

COMING SOON

 

[jcgatennismom]

So, a UTR 9 or 10 who does not play college tennis can play in these low level pro events?
What counts towards the elusive "ATP point" life milestone? Futures? Challengers?

No not the pro events but the opens and ITA circuits. Players who get in Futures-mostly UTR 13s or 14s but some 12s in Qualis earn ATP points for main draw wins and ITF points for Quali wins

 

[FiddlerDog]

No not the pro events but the opens and ITA circuits. Players who get in Futures-mostly UTR 13s or 14s but some 12s in Qualis earn ATP points for main draw wins and ITF points for Quali wins

Ok, what is ITA? That's different than ITF?
Do you have a link to the schedule of ITA tournaments?

Also, how did this guy get into this tournament ?

 

[jcgatennismom]

Ok, what is ITA? That's different than ITF?
Do you have a link to the schedule of ITA tournaments?

Also, how did this guy get into this tournament ?

https://www.wearecollegetennis.com/2021/08/23/2021-ita-fall-circuit-schedule-released/ for ITA fall circuits-just need to buy $30 membership to play-open to all over 13. ITA is the governing group for college tennis. It used to just host summer circuits for players to get practice over the summer, but with the pandemic it hosted fall circuits too as most schools cancelled fall 2020 play (but many still held practice). Individual players could play ITAs on their own. ITA is hosting fall circuits again-less than in fall '20; Players could be UTR6-UTR12+; there are usually 2-3 draws by UTR for the larger tourneys or ones at the better know universities. Just because a university hosts an ITA does not mean any players from the university will play. The tourneys hosted at smaller schools or non P5 schools may have all male players UTR 10 and under. Less than 5% who play ITA circuit are 12+. Good competition for the UTR 8-10 group and some circuits are good for high levels.

As far as the video, sometimes pro Futures have weak local players in the Qualis. If players withdraw after the freeze date (about 4 days ahead?), their spots are filled by alternates who travel to site and sign up the night before. The alternate list at the freeze date may even have some UTR13+ players. Alternates are ranked by ATP (usually if u have ATP points, u at least get in Qualis), ITF world ranking, national ranking list from each country quarterly supplied to ITF, and the rest of the alternates are randomly ordered so a UTR 6 could be ahead of a UTR 13 college player if that player did not have ATP/ITF points, earn a WC, or be on a national list. Sometime as many as 4-8 players drop out late, and anybody on the alternate list who signed in would get in Qualis and there may even by byes. One year a 39 year old lawyer UTR 7 or 8 had a 1st rd match vs a UTR 6 local at a Us future-both players got in as alternates when players had late withdrawals. Then the lawyer had one ITF point and he used it to sign up for 7-8 Future Qualis, losing most of them 0,1 or 0,0 while much better college players were stuck on alternate list because they didnt have a single ITF world point. At another event, the younger brother of a player who came to play signed in as an alternate to play when there were byes. Conversely, one 1st rd of a Future Quali a few years back had two top 25 ITF world junior players who had to play each other-both were 13+ and one had to lose. Usually there are few players in Qualis under 12s with most still 13+ but there are the anomalies. Plus TDs have WCs and they can run a tourney to give away or they might give to a local player. Once a Challenger WC was given to a 60 year player who was a local celebrity-a former top basketball player at the university hosting the Challenger. Didnt matter if he could dribble or free throw, he lost that match 0,0 or 0,1. Outside the US, it is worse-an 11.5 might win a MD Futures match, when that player would lose in 1st rd of US Qualis. Players with more $ than sense will travel to 3rd world countries on their parent's dime for 6 months, 12 month, 18 months and maybe win one main draw match. Now legit players travel to far off countries too but they would at least be earning some 1st round wins in the early months. Even with ATP points, many players start in Qualis of US tourneys-play 3rd world, go deep in main to earn more ATP points, and then they can get in main draw of US Futures.

 

[StringGuruMRT]

I use to play open tournaments over the summers when I was playing college tennis. Some back home, some in the town where my school was, or wherever I was working for the summer. I played at regionally ranked a D3 school, but the competition at the tournaments was often higher than a lot of the schools we faced throughout the season

 

[PURETENNISsense]

I definitely did for every summer in college and for a few years after.

Nothing better than travelling with some great tennis friends (or by yourself) visiting a new or returning city in the US and bashing some balls in the summer heat.

I couldn't get enough of the Men's open/futures qualies and have fond memories of summer tennis battles.

Hope kids now still do the same, not sure though.....

 

[WayneBretsky]

Former college player. I would play in open tournaments and we had an ITA College circuit during the summer. Had a blast!