As a coach who believes in long-term player development, planning a tournament schedule is just as important as planning training sessions.
Every tournament should have a purpose. Sometimes the goal is development. Sometimes it is exposure. Sometimes it is ranking. The challenge is finding the right balance between all three.
The Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) has done an excellent job of providing junior players with opportunities to compete throughout Asia in both the 12 & Under and 14 & Under categories.
For parents who are just starting, understanding the tournament structure is essential before spending money on international competition.
If you are new to the ATF system, you can read my guide here:
Understanding the Tournament Categories
ATF tournaments are divided into six categories:
- Category 3
- Category 2
- Category 1
- Category 1+
- Category A
- Category A+ (Asian Junior Championships)
Each category awards different ranking points. The higher the category, the stronger the field and the greater the rewards.
The ATF Tournament Pathway
ASIA'S JUNIOR TOURNAMENT PATHWAY
Category A+ (Asian Junior Championships) Highest level • Biggest points
▲
Category A
Strong international competition
▲
Category 1+
Top regional tournaments
▲
Category 1
Higher standard • More ranking points
▲ Category 2
Best starting point for most new players
▲
National & Local Tournament
Development Build technical, tactical, physical and mental game
The objective isn’t to climb the ladder as quickly as possible. The objective is to become good enough to belong at each level before moving to the next.
Where Should a Beginner Start?
Many parents assume their child must begin with Category 3.
In reality, that is not always the case.
From my experience, especially in the girls’ events, Category 2 tournaments often have fewer entries than expected. In Malaysia, even players without an ATF ranking are sometimes able to enter the main draw directly because there are not enough ranked players registered.
This is one of the advantages of having ATF tournaments in our own country.
For young players, gaining exposure to international competition without travelling overseas is an excellent opportunity.
Every Match Matters
A standard 32-player main draw allows players to gain valuable match experience throughout the tournament.
Ranking points, however, are only awarded once a player wins at least one match.
The deeper a player progresses, the more points they earn.
Because ATF rankings operate on a rolling 12 month system (52 weeks), every point earned today will expire one year later. This means players need to perform consistently throughout the year instead of relying on one or two good tournaments.
Ranking Should Never Be the Only Goal
Different coaches have different philosophies.
Some chase rankings.
Some focus only on development.
Some try to balance both.
I believe rankings should support development, not replace it.
A high ranking means very little if it does not reflect the player’s actual ability.
How ATF Ranking Points Are Calculated
One important thing that parents and coaches should understand is that an ATF ranking is not the total of every tournament a player has played.
Only a player’s best six tournament results within the previous 12 months are counted towards their ATF ranking. The ranking points from singles and doubles are combined for each tournament, and that combined total becomes the player’s result for that event.
For example, if a player competes in six tournaments and finishes 16th place in every event, those six results will make up the player’s ranking.
If the player enters a seventh tournament but finishes 17th place, that result will not replace any of the existing six because it earns fewer points. The ranking will remain unchanged.
However, if the seventh tournament produces a better result, perhaps reaching the quarter-finals or finishing in the top eight, it will replace the player’s lowest scoring tournament among the best six results.
This system encourages players to keep improving rather than simply playing more tournaments.
Why Starting Early Is an Advantage
One advantage for players who begin competing at 10 or 11 years old is that they have nearly three years to gain experience in the 14 & Under circuit.
However, there is another challenge that many parents overlook.
Since ATF points expire 12 months after they are earned, players must continue to perform well every year to maintain their ranking.
For example, if a player earned 33 points from a ninth-place finish this year, those 33 points will disappear exactly one year later unless they earn similar or even better results to replace them.
In other words, a player is not only trying to gain new points. They are also trying to defend the points they earned the previous year.
That is why consistent improvement is so important. A player’s level must continue to rise each year; otherwise, their ranking will gradually fall as older results expire.
This is another reason why we focus on development before ranking. If the player’s level keeps improving, defending points becomes much easier. If the level stays the same while everyone else improves, the ranking will eventually drop.
Reefa’s Journey
Recently, I tried entering Reefa into an ATF Category A tournament.
At the time, she was ranked around 384 in Asia.
Unfortunately, she was listed as Alternate No. 38.
This meant that thirty eight players ahead of her would have needed to withdraw before she could enter the main draw.
Although we did not get in, it showed us something important.
To compete in Category A events, we first need to consistently progress deeper into Category 2 and Category 1 tournaments to earn more ranking points.
That became our roadmap.
You can read what we learn in here Singapore. https://nttacademy.com/good-lesson-from-singapore-atf-14-under/
Choosing Tournaments Wisely
One strategy many coaches use is selecting tournaments in countries where the entry lists are smaller or where the overall standard is slightly lower.
Winning more matches means earning more points.
There is nothing wrong with being strategic.
However, strategy should never become avoidance.
If we only compete where it is easy to win, our ranking may improve while our actual playing level stays the same.
Eventually, that gap will be exposed when we face Asia’s best players.
The goal is not simply to enter bigger tournaments.
The goal is to become good enough to compete in them.
Train. Test. Train.
This is why I strongly believe in our coaching philosophy:
Train. Test. Train.
We train to improve.
We test ourselves against stronger opponents to discover our true level.
Then we return to training with a clearer understanding of what needs to be improved.
Competition is not an exam to prove how good we are.
Competition is feedback that tells us what we should work on next.
Development Comes First
One lesson I have learned throughout this journey is that rankings should never become the primary objective.
A ranking is simply a number. It opens doors to bigger tournaments, but it does not determine how good a player truly is.
A player can have a high ranking by carefully selecting tournaments with weaker fields. However, when they eventually face Asia’s best players, the truth will be revealed on the court.
Development always comes first.
The ranking is only a byproduct of consistent improvement.
When players become technically sound, tactically intelligent, physically stronger, mentally tougher, and gain experience through quality competition, the ranking will naturally follow.
As coaches and parents, our responsibility is not to build a high ranking as quickly as possible.
Our responsibility is to build a player who is capable of competing with the very best in Asia and eventually, the world.
Because in the long run, the player with the highest level will always outgrow the player with the highest ranking.
That is the philosophy we believe in.
Train. Test. Train. Improve. Repeat.