Women's Rankings

Women’s rankings, the creativity stays on the court

by Aila Main, Chair, APTA Women's Ranking Committee

August 30, 2008

The Women’s ranking and seeding is based on a simple formula of points. While this system does not always lead to perfect tournament match-ups, we all know that there is no method that does. There are three fundamental approaches to seedings-the subjective, the quantitative, and the combination of the two. We have opted for the purely quantitative, merit-based approach. Draws are drawn according to the number of points a team has earned. While there are many possible ways to determine seeding and ranking, and they have been debated from Wimbledon to the US Open, we have opted for a purely numeric system, eliminating second-guessing of team rankings and placements. Here is how it works:

Seedings

A team’s seeding will be determined by the combined total of its players individual points. Each player’s three best results are used. Points from a tournament are valid for one year, or until the start date of the same tournament the following season. From the Ranking Committee’s perspective, the season is divided into three parts. The first being October to December, the second January to February, and the third February to March. During the initial third of the season any three tournament points may be used. During the 2^nd third of the season 1 of the three points must come from a tournament held in the 1^st third of the year, the other two from any period. During the last third of the year two tournaments must be from the current season, and only one from the previous year may be used.

Rankings

Players are ranked as teams, with no individual standings tabulated. Points, however, are awarded and tracked individually based on a player’s results throughout the season, regardless of with whom they play. The platform tennis ranking season runs from the first APTA sanctioned National Ranking Tournament (NRT) of the year (commonly in October) through the National Championship, usually held in March. Rankings are calculated several times a year, and a team’s progress will be charted through Nationals, after which year-end rankings are published. At year-end a team’s three best scores count toward their final ranking. Only a team that has played three tournaments together qualifies for a year-end ranking, regardless of how many points the individuals have accumulated individually. It is possible for a player to be ranked twice with two different partners, provided they have played the required number of tournaments together.

There is one significant exception to the above. If a player is out for an entire year due to injury or pregnancy, the points from her previous active season will be used in determining her seeding upon her return to active play.

Updated April 2008