College tennis faces an uphill battle

Like most Olympic sports in the post-House world, tennis has a murky future

Pete Janny
July 21, 2025

Kent also cited the foreign influence on college tennis, and he believes the financial stressors in 2025, like revenue sharing, may lead to an even larger proportion of international players on rosters. According to an NCAA report released in 2022, 61 percent of men’s tennis players and 66 percent of the women are from outside the United States, marking a large increase from the 38 percent and 50 percent, respectively, reported in 2006-07. The 2025 national championship-winning Wake Forest men and Georgia women both follow this trend; 63 percent of the Wake Forest men are internationals, along with 58 percent of the Georgia women. 

August 5th, 1999 From TENNIS WORLD by Beth German:

“The NCAA is also to be blamed for not keeping tennis specific numbers. It is impossible to find out how many international players take roster spots, scholarships or Graduate from college.”

*****( COMMENT ON THESE “EXCERPTS”) 

I support the Pete Janny article, adding this:  He, as others in the past ( the USTA, ITA , etc),  have cited the % of internationals on American college tennis rosters including all members of all rosters.  Above it is 61% for men, 66% for women.  

While acknowledging a significant increase, it doesn’t give a complete picture of the real situation.  

Technology makes research easier.  Embedded below is a “jackleg “ effort I made —studying the top college teams in 2025.   Bottom line:  All divisions (NCAA 1, 11, NAIA, JUCOS, men and women averaged about 90% of starters.  And most probably “scholarshipped “ players.  Only NCAA 111 (non- scholarship ) and NCAA 1 women were less than 90%.

Wake Forest featured 11 of 12 international singles and doubles participants .  Georgia’s Women 10 of 12.  

Admitting readily my amateur study is questionable, most of my coaching “veterans” concluded,  “…that’s about right. “

For 50 plus years any allotment or quota that saved scholarships was dismissed by a lawsuit feared;  a threat based on “ discrimination based on national origin. “  Ironically the current administration is taking a strikingly similar position on EDUCATION.  Is higher education awarding too many of the best slots to brighter international students ?

How would the current judiciary rule on that? Just saying!

For the MISSING CHART click on the link below or MILESTONES https://littlegreenbookoftennis.com/2025/02/25/milestones/

Scroll to THE REST OF THE STORY,  then on down to THE MISSING CHART. 

The first link is hot off the press from NIL /WIRE.

WHOA NELLY is a blog I wrote in October.

Challenge match policies are also extremely important. My essential

guidelines:

• Challenge matches earn you a spot in the lineup, match play

preserves the spot. These are perhaps the grimmest matches in

college tennis. (One of my players always lost.)

• The two most important challenge matches were between number

six and number seven (determines if you start) and number eight

and number nine (determines if you travel with the team). The coach

should always witness these matches.

CARDINAL SINS IN DOUBLES

• Failing to recognize the weaker player and attacking that person. This
  may change within the match.
  • Failing to identify the weaker service return of each player. This, too,
  can change within the match.
  • Failing to put pressure on second serves by moving in and hitting an
  attacking return.
  • Failure to attempt a “quality” return. This could be a lob or a chip, but
  it has to have a plan. Don’t hit “wimpy” returns. Our team will accept
  errors of ability but not fear. Go for it.
  • Our server with the best win percentage serves first in every set. This
  is not necessarily the player with the best serve.
  • Not closing in on “floaters” at the net; if you fail at this, you sit in the
  stands during the next match.
  • Assuming one service break wins the pro set (8 games). I saw many
  pro sets lost with the winners being down 7–3.

Never have I suggested we shouldn’t have delved into internationals then or now. But it seems to me to be a half full/half empty issue. Not once have I ever said an international should be prohibited from participation. Or equal admittance. The elephant in the room is scholarships. Never have I suggested internationals should be exempt from a reasonable amount of money. I do believe that the NCAA has a legal right to provide aid to our citizens first. One link to follow allows that about 200 million American dollars go into international men and women tennis players.

But to scholarship an all African team, rather than an African American team is bothersome, to say the least. What we have now is foreign aid, not trade. Not once in the many times I asked any international , “Would your native country do what we do?” was the answer yes. And the money is coming from the coffers of the only reasonable financial return for all the expenses encountered: Scholarships. 

Between Portal/Nil issues and the recent Supreme Court ruling on college admission the NCAA doesn’t know whether to punt or bunt. Nor does anyone it seems. Very few venture solutions. 

“… if you don’t start out with a trust fund, you’re stuck, especially for a sport like tennis that requires years of youth investment. This is a major, fatal disadvantage for American tennis. In Europe, South America and lately in Asia, kids from all social classes have a shot at a tennis career. If they show sufficient talent and motivation, there are numerous community organizations, government programs and general social assistance systems to help build up their careers, in part because these other societies strongly support investment in their youth. ” Never have I suggested we shouldn’t have delved into internationals then or now. But it seems to me to be a half full/half empty issue. Not once have I ever said an international should be prohibited from participation. Or equal admittance. The elephant in the room is scholarships. Never have I suggested internationals should be exempt from a reasonable amount of money. I do believe that the NCAA has a legal right to provide aid to our citizens first. One link to follow allows that about 200 million American dollars go into international men and women tennis players.

RULES !!!

College team tennis has its own unique rules. The “no service let” is even for men only.  One coaching colleague suggested “…the NCAA should have only ten rules, and if they add one they also have to eliminate one!”   Rules can be complicated .  Both coaches and players are better off knowing the rules.  American  college tennis is ruled by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).  High schools have their own.  USTA rules are the backbone of both, with differences for local and team differences. 

Here are some simple core rules:

PLAYERS ——Play by the CODE*

COACHES—-Don’t “stack” your lineup!**

REFEREES—- Line calls.  Stop the cheaters.  ***

• A. The Code USTA Rules & Regulations are in effect in college tennis except where explicitly superseded by ITA, NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, CCCAA or Conference Rules. The Code is not part of the ITA Rules of Tennis. Players shall follow The Code unless there is a specific ITA Rule on point or except to the extent to which an Official assumes some of their responsibilities

Opponent gets benefit of the doubt. Whenever a player is in doubt, the player shall make the call in favor of the opponent. Balls should be called “out” only when there is a space visible between the ball and the line. A player shall never seek aid from a Chair Umpire, Roving Umpire, spectator, teammate or coach in making a line call.

**3. Players must play in order of ability. The line-up shall always be based on order of ability. In singles, players must compete in order of ability with the best player on the team playing at the No. 1 position, the second best at No. 2, and so on through all positions. This rule shall also apply to doubles play with the strongest doubles team at No. 1, etc. 

***Overrule must be immediate. It is the responsibility of the player to make an initial line call. An official in direct observation of a court shall immediately overrule a player’s erroneous “out” call. 

The  USTA (United States Tennis Association),  The ITA,  NFHSAA (National Federation of High School Athletics Associations) all have their rules in their online handbooks.   Most states have theirs online also.  ( North Carolina’s  are under THE NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS COACHES ASSOCIATION).

Parting advice—  Rules change.  Year to year.  Tough to keep current.