When a junior player first starts out, they play with other kids who are generally at the same level, so it’s hard to know what it takes to reach higher levels. You can safely assume that the better players are hitting it harder, moving faster, and placing the ball into some pretty tight spots, but other than that, it’s hard to visualize what the player looks like as they progress.

One way I have thought about player progress is what the strokes and strategies look like according to UTR. In other words, as the player progresses from a beginning UTR level, like a 2 or 3, all the way to elite Division 1 college levels, like 12+, I think it’s useful to know what the player “looks” like at each of these levels as a way to know what to focus on. With my son approaching 8+ UTR, and watching a LOT of junior tennis over the years, here then is a quick rundown of what it takes to progress from one level of UTR to the next.

At the 2 to 4 UTR level, the player is a clear beginner. The shots lack spin or depth, and there are many simple errors where the player sends the ball out of play due to poor ball contact or not being close to the correct spot. The contact point is bad (usually behind the body, rather than in front) and the player usually stands in the middle of the court maybe a few feet behind the service boxes, because the opponent is likely hitting the ball short. There are a lot of double faults and the second serve does not look very different from the first serve. In junior tennis, these players are generally young and first starting out on their tennis journeys. The most important development consideration is that the player is having fun so they keep learning and improving!

The next level is the 4 to 5 UTR. At this stage, the player is hitting and recovering to the center hash of the baseline after each shot, and are good enough to play high school tennis (and likely varsity on the women’s side). They are comfortable hitting on both wings, but the backhand still looks uncomfortable and inconsistent. The top spin is developing, and the players are getting better at keeping the ball deep (close to the baseline). Consistency is good, but power is still not a weapon. At this level, the player can keep the ball in rally for long durations as long as the ball is coming in at a reasonable speed. It’s worth nothing that players can still reach UTR 5 (as far as I have seen) with unconventional form. You still see players hit strokes flat, or “dink” their serve in, because matches can still be won this way as long as the consistency is there.

The next level is 6 to 7. IMO this is where serious tennis is starting. At this level, the player is starting to develop weapons because they have mastered the strategic basics like keeping the ball deep and utilizing different spin types. The players have a clear first and second serve, and are playing matches strategically by hitting to an opponent weakness. This level is high enough to play varsity for most high school tennis teams, and on the female side this is entry college level. What I believe starts to create separation at this level is how the player uses the forehand. The forehand controls the point, while the backhand is viewed as a more defensive shot. Players at this level are starting to understand this fundamental element of tennis and are now able to capitalize on it. 

At 8 to 10 UTR, on the women’s side, they are serious Division 1 contenders and on the men’s side, they are realistically at Division 3 or lower rated college player. In other words, this is a very high level. At this level, there is almost zero “junk balling” where the games can be won thru unconventional strategies like excessive drop shotting or moonballing. The serve is starting to become a real weapon and the scoring starts to show that because you see players holding serve consistently. The players are hitting it hard because they have already mastered spins and can hit safely with high degrees of power. They are starting to become all court players who approach the net strategically because sometimes that’s the only way to win points at this level! There needs to be a very high level of fitness to compete at this level as the matches are intense and points can be long with high exertion with each shot. 

At the 11 to 13 UTR level, to the untrained eye, the player will look like a touring pro. Every shot in the toolbox is there and can be called upon at will. All serve types (kick, out wide, t-serve, flat, etc.) can be hit with extremely high levels of consistency (and with disguise). Even shots like drop shots are performed at a very high level (meaning, the shot is disguised and placed at an angle from almost anywhere on the court). Fitness is also at an extremely high level, both in terms of power and endurance. These are Division 1 level tennis players on the mens side, and touring pros on the women’s side. I don’t know if the statistic is ever tracked, but I’d be willing to bet that fewer than 0.5% of all tennis players ever get close to this level.

Hopefully, this is a good overview of what you can expect to see as your junior tennis player makes their way up the ranks. And with all that said, here is the big kicker: When watching players at these various levels play each other, it can often be very difficult to tell the difference between levels! I’m not referring to the difference between a 4 UTR and a 10, because those differences will be obvious. But I have been shocked at how similar a 7 UTR and a 9 UTR “look” while hitting. After all, to reach this level, the technique needs to be sound and the fitness needs to be high. If you were to see two players at these two different levels warming up against each other, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the opponents. It’s not until the competition starts that you realize that tennis is won at the margins. The victory is taken by the won who wins the big points vs the most points, like almost every other sport on earth. It reminds you that the higher up the rating you go, the more critical is strategy, identifying weaknesses in your opponent, and staying tough mentally.