Anyways I always join USTA as mentioned it gets you access to play their leagues and tournaments and as other posters have said you don’t have to pay anything to join UTR, in fact if you’ve ever played any kind of competitive tennis you may already me in their library you just have to “claim” your profile. It’s pay for play, meaning you see a tournament you like you just pay for that event and they are often half the price of USTA tournaments, at least in this neck of the woods. But yeah, just pay the $35 to USTA and play both USTA and UTR if you want some competitive matches. Keep in mind you’ll cross paths with all kind of characters, as these events some times bring out the worst in people. If you prefer social recreational tennis you’ll be fine without joining.