Flex Leagues are perfect for tennis players of all levels who want to enjoy friendly, competitive matches on their own schedule! Unlike traditional leagues and tournaments with rigid schedules and fixed locations, you can play matches when and where it’s most convenient for you. Plus, you might even discover some new regular playing partners along the way!

How does it work?

• Sign up for a league near you.

• There are no distinct leagues based on level (e.g. Phoenix 4.0-4.5). Players of all levels sign up for the same local league (e.g. Phoenix - Women's Singles).

• Your league organizer will then group you with others based on your skill level.

• On the start date of a league, you'll receive an email and a notification letting you know who your opponents are.

• You and your opponent can use the in-app chat to schedule matches (feel free to exchange phone numbers).

• You determine when and where matches are played, for ultimate flexibility.

• Simply complete and record your match result in the app before the end of the league.

Why should I join?

• Matched to Play: We'll connect you with players of a similar skill level, ensuring fun and balanced singles or doubles matches.

• Play on Your Time: Decide with your opponents when and where to battle it out. No more scrambling to meet a set schedule. Scheduling is easy via the app.

• Local Matches, Friendly Competition: Play matches close to home or work, and meet new players in your area.

• Open to All: No paid USTA membership needed! Just grab your racket and get ready to play. There are players at all levels, so everyone is welcome.

Signing up for a Flex League or Event

• Search for Your Flex League or Event: Go to the “Browse” tab and enter your city or zip code in the search bar, to locate activities in your area.

• Join an Upcoming Season/Event: Scroll down to learn more, and if there's a season or event open for registration, click "Join" and follow the prompts to complete your registration.

• Sit back and relax: All that’s left is to wait for your local organizer to publish your flex league on the start date. If you’ve joined an event, just be sure to show up at the designated location on time.

• Join the Waitlist: If no upcoming flex league or event is available, click “Join Waitlist” to be notified as soon as registration opens.

Doubles Flex Leagues

• Join the League: If there's an upcoming season, click "Join" and select your partner. You'll handle the payment for both of you when you complete the process.

• Finding Your Partner: If you can't find your partner on the list, they might not have an account yet. Ask them to download the app and create an account. Once they do, you can select them and finish signing up.

Can't find your league or event?

Feel free to reach out to USTA Customer Care if you need help. We typically respond within 24 hours, and are very happy to help you out!

USTA Flex connects players through leagues, events, and hitting sessions.

Some activities are player-arranged, while others take place at fixed times and locations organized by local providers or venues.

In all cases, players are responsible for deciding whether to participate and for ensuring they feel comfortable with the arrangements, location, and other participants.

USTA and its partners do not supervise or control on-court activities and do not vet participants. Local organizers and venues may have their own rules and requirements, which players are responsible for following.

By participating, you acknowledge that all activities and interactions take place at your own discretion and risk. USTA and its partners are not liable for any injuries, damages, losses, or disputes arising from participation or interactions between players.

The USTA Flex app offers two different formats: Round Robin and Ladder flex leagues. Flex League seasons typically last 8-12 weeks.

Round-robins are the classic Flex League format, giving you a set group of matches to play at your own pace, while ladders bring a dynamic ranking system with more organized scheduling. Both formats are great solutions to meet new hitting partners along the way!

Round Robin Flex League Explained:

• League Structure: Round-Robin Flex Leagues typically run for 8-12 weeks. The best part? You don’t need to be available for the entire period! Whether you're busy with work or planning a vacation, you can still arrange your matches around your schedule.

• Flight Levels: You'll be placed in a flight (group) based on your playing ability using a combination of previous match results, World Tennis Number (WTN) rating, and NTRP.

• Number of opponents: We match you with 5-7 players of a similar skill level.

• Flexible Scheduling: The app will suggest an initial match date/time (these dates are tentative!). Once you chat with your opponents in the app, you can confirm a time that works best for everyone. Court fees are shared unless a player agrees to take on the costs.

• Convenient Match Management: Easily arrange matches with your opponents and record your match results directly in the app.

• Track Your Progress: All match scores count towards your WTN rating, helping you track your improvement over time (please allow time for your WTN to update).

• Point system: The winner of each match receives 3 points, and the loser receives 1 participation point + 1 point per set won. The player with the most points in the flight wins the season!

Ladder Flex League Explained:

• League Structure: Ladders typically run for 10-14 weeks. The best part? You don’t need to be available for the entire period! Whether you're busy with work or planning a vacation, you can still arrange your matches around your schedule.

• Ladder Levels: You'll be initially placed in the ladder based on your playing ability using a combination of previous match results, World Tennis Number (WTN) rating, and NTRP.

• 2-Week Rounds: Every 2 weeks, you are automatically matched to 1 or 2 opponents close to you in the ladder (depending on your preference).

• Flexible Scheduling: The app will suggest an initial match date/time (these dates are tentative!). Once you chat with your opponents in the app, you can confirm a time that works best for everyone. Court fees are shared unless a player agrees to take on the costs.

• Convenient Match Management: Easily arrange matches with your opponents and record your match results directly in the app.

• Track Your Progress: All match scores count towards your WTN rating, helping you track your improvement over time (please allow time for your WTN to update).

• Dynamic ladder rankings: At the start of a new 2-week round, ladder rankings update based on the previous round’s results. If you beat someone ranked above you, you swap places with them.

• Late joiners: New players can join at any time and will be placed in the next two-week round according to their rating.

• Unplayed matches: If a ladder match isn’t played during its assigned 2-week round, it remains on the app for an extra 2 weeks to give players another chance to complete it. Matches played during this grace period will not count towards ladder standings but will count for WTN and appear on the USTA profile.

The USTA Flex app provides you with a variety of score formats to choose from!

Before your match, both players must agree on the scoring format, unless your league rules specify one:

Best of 3 tie-break sets

• The match ends if Player A wins both sets 1 and 2. Otherwise, the winner is decided by who takes the third set.

• For example: Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 6-4, 6-3 or Serena Williams beat Simona Halep 6-3, 4-6, 6-2

• All sets are played using a tiebreaker. This means if the score reaches 6-6 in games, a tiebreaker is played to determine the set winner.

Two sets + third set 10-point match tiebreaker

• In lieu of a full third set, a ten-point match tiebreaker may be mutually agreed upon by competing players to determine the victor.

• For example: Ash Barty beat Venus Williams 6-4, 3-6, (10-8)

• When any set reaches 6 games, a tiebreak is played.

Short on court hire time? You can also consider the two formats below!

Free format (any score)

• Any result can be reported. If you’re short on court hire time, you can report 1 set long matches with this format.

2 FAST4 sets + Match tie-break

• 2 sets to 4 games with a tiebreak at 3-3. At 1 set all, a 10-point tiebreak decides

Flex League Rules & Regulations

Note: Below are the default USTA Flex rules and regulations. If you join a Flex League, please also review your local league rules, as your organizer may have unique rules that override the defaults listed here.

• Matches are self-umpired and should be conducted in the spirit of fair play.

• Before your match, both players must agree on the scoring format, unless your league rules specify one.

• The app will suggest initial match times that should be confirmed/amended with your opponents.

• Players sharing any associated court fees (courts are NOT reserved for the league matches, please reserve your own court time).

• Players compete at their own risk, and it is the player's responsibility to ensure any courts used are safe for play. By entering, you agree to the competition rules & regulations.

Refund Policy

The USTA Flex Team issues refunds in the following cases:

• A player withdraws before the season officially starts (upon request).

• A player withdraws within 2 days of registering, with a valid reason (e.g., emergency, health).

• A player is dissatisfied with their Flex League experience.

Unresponsive Opponent?

We hope we can change that!

• If you still haven't heard back from them, please send them a second message via the app AND email. Note: We shared their email address with you via email on the day you were assigned to play them

• If they still haven't responded to you after 48 hours, let us know, and we will also email them, encouraging them to get on the app.

• See the “Walkover” section below for details on when you may be eligible to claim a walkover.

Walkovers

You can claim a walkover win (or loss, if they prefer) for any match in the USTA Flex app.

A walkover win may be claimed in these situations:

• Last-minute cancellation: Your opponent canceled less than 24 hours before a scheduled match (with a mutually agreed time and location).

• Round-Robin Flex League: Your opponent has been unresponsive for 14 days despite multiple attempts to contact them via in-app chat and email.

• Ladder Flex League: Your opponent has been unresponsive for 10 days despite multiple attempts to contact them via in-app chat and email.

Withdrawals

If you need to withdraw from a league, please contact USTA Customer Care or your local league organizer.

Be aware that withdrawing will result in forfeiting any unplayed matches, and these forfeited matches will not count towards your World Tennis Number (WTN).

World Tennis Number (WTN)

What's your number? WTN is developed by the International Tennis Federation, the world governing body of tennis. The ITF World Tennis number is free to use for all ages and genders and has been adopted by the USTA and in over 170 countries. Now you can finally compare your tennis skills to Spanish rising star Carlos Alcaraz!

If you've played with the USTA within the last 5+ years, either singles or doubles, you have an ITF World Tennis Number. Click here to find your profile.

WTN in USTA Flex All USTA Flex League matches reported with the ‘Best of 3 Sets’ and ‘2 Sets + MTB’ scoring formats contribute to your WTN rating! Please allow 1-2 weeks for your WTN to update and your matches to upload to the WTN website.

What makes it great It's a free 40-1 scale which makes assessing your play and seeing your progression more fun and entertaining. Players get one ITF WTN for singles, and one for doubles Beginners start at 40, and pro players will be closer to 1

What about the NTRP rating? The USTA NTRP rating (1.5 - 7.0 scale) remains the key rating used to power a number of offerings, including the USTA League program. USTA NTRP is a static rating, released once a year, which is useful for a season-long competition. The ITF WTN is a rating that allows you to track your progress in real-time week after week, and encompasses all reported competitive play results - USTA League, non-USTA leagues, tournaments and other recorded events (e.g. Flex Leagues).

Flex Leagues and Events are great ways to bring players together, increase court activity, and grow your local tennis community — all with minimal effort.

Why you should organize a Flex League

1. More members / more play: Boost engagement by getting players on your courts more often.
2. Build a community: Connect players of similar levels around your area, who will play together more often.
3. Fully automated: Hassle-free software and full player support handled by the USTA. Organizing takes just minutes!
4. Earn money – collect entry fees directly into your bank account

How to get started

Interested in hosting a Flex League or Event in your area? Please reach out to ustaflex@scalasports.com. We’ll follow up with you and get approval from the appropriate USTA representative to get things set up.

Questions about a Flex League or Event:

For all questions about the app or your local USTA Flex League or Event, email customercare@usta.com

The USTA Customer Care team can help with all player and league-related questions.

Start a Flex League or Event:

Interested in starting a Flex League or Event? Email ustaflex@scalasports.com

This inbox is only for league or event setup. All other questions should go to USTA Customer Care.