Supporting and promoting tennis in the Ann Arbor area
ANN ARBOR AREA COMMUNITY TENNIS ASSOCIATION
2026 City Tournament: Doubles Rules and Registration Information
AGE & RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS: Except for the Open division, BOTH players in the Doubles divisions must be at least 18 by the end of the calendar year. If it is necessary to limit the number of participating teams, then priority shall be given to Washtenaw County residents.
ENTRY FEES: $40 per player. Tournament fees are nonrefundable. Players will receive a T-shirt. Trophies will be awarded to the finalists in each Doubles division.
LEVELS OF PLAY: The Doubles tournament is divided into divisions according to USTA (NTRP) ratings and age (as of end of the calendar year). Players with a USTA NTRP rating must use that rating. Players without one should self-rate using the criteria provided below. USTA players must play at or above their official USTA rating. The Tournament Committee may obtain other similar information regarding non-USTA rated players and reserves the right to move players to a more appropriate division. Misrepresentation of level of play may result in disqualification.
Details of criteria for each level are provided here. Doubles events use combined ratings of both participants, rounded up. For example, 3.5 and 4.0 = 8.0. In the 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0 divisions, partners' ratings may not differ by more than one level (e.g., a 3.0 and a 4.0 may play in the 7.0 division, but a 2.5 and a 4.5 may not). In 9.0 and Open divisions, higher rating gaps are permissible with the approval of the Tournament Director.
Doubles divisions: MW 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, Open, and Senior 50+ (both players on each doubles team must be at least 50 by December 31, 2026). Players can play in the Senior 50+ division regardless of rating.
SEEDING: All seeding will be done using the ITF World Tennis Number (WTN). If you have played a USTA match within the last 5+ years, either singles or doubles, you have an ITF World Tennis Number. Click here to find your profile. For more information on how the WTN works, visit here. Doubles teams are seeded using the average WTN of both partners.
FORMAT: Matches in the 9.0 and Open division doubles will be best 2 of 3 sets. A 10-minute break is allowed between the 2nd and 3rd sets. All other Doubles divisions will use a Match Tiebreak (first to 10 by 2) instead of a third set. There is a 2-minute break between the 2nd set and Match Tiebreak. In all Doubles divisions, at 6-6, a Set Tiebreak (first to 7 by 2) will be used. All tiebreaks (both Set and Match Tiebreaks) will use the Coman (USTA league) format.
TENNIS BALLS: A new can of USTA-approved balls will be provided by the tournament for each match.
DRAWS: Draws will be available on AAACTA's website on Monday, July 6. Players are responsible for checking the draws for their match start times and locations. Because we anticipate large numbers of players in the tournament, we cannot accommodate players' individual schedule issues, or USTA league calendar conflicts. Please familiarize yourself with the possible schedule prior to registering for the tournament and clear that time for play. Events with an insufficient number of entries may be canceled or combined with other events at the discretion of the Tournament Committee. Players will be notified in advance if this is done. For draws of fewer than 4 teams, expect round-robin play.
MATCH SCHEDULING: All players should report to their tournament site on the designated play date 15 minutes before the start time rain or shine. DEFAULT TIME IS 10 MINUTES AFTER THE START TIME (when a court is available). Warm-up is limited to 10 minutes.
Our objective is to conduct all matches in all divisions on the weekend, with a limit of two matches per day per player (with at least one hour rest between matches). Large draws, however, will require first round matches to be played on a weekday. Matches will not be scheduled earlier than 4:30pm, with a goal of starting after 6:00pm where the number of matches needed to be played permits. If the 4:30pm start presents a significant hardship for any team, then that team should contact the Tournament Director as soon as possible after the draws have been posted and she will attempt to reschedule the match for an alternate start time, if possible.
COURT SCHEDULING: The tournament will be played on hard courts, either indoor or outdoor, depending on facility availability. Players should expect to play on the court type that is assigned to them. The Tournament Director cannot consider requests for a particular court type. Matches will go out as courts become available so as not to disrupt the tournament schedule.
WEATHER POLICY: All players must report to the tournament site 15 minutes before their scheduled match time, regardless of weather conditions, unless notified otherwise by the Tournament Director. The Tournament Director reserves the right to delay, reschedule, cancel, or relocate matches, which may result in changes to location and start time with limited notice.
Players are encouraged to monitor weather and air quality forecasts ahead of their play date. If you have concerns about competing in high heat or poor air quality, please withdraw before the registration close date. While we will make every effort to move matches indoors in extreme conditions, indoor courts cannot be guaranteed. Contact the Tournament Director with any questions.
PLAYER AND SPECTATOR GUIDELINES: As a community tournament, camaraderie and fair play are our first priority. If players require assistance regarding rules during the match, they should raise their racquets and wait for assistance from a tournament official. Coaching is not allowed at any time.
WAIVER: AAACTA may use any photos or videos taken during the tournament for display on the AAACTA website and social media accounts and for legitimate marketing or promotional purposes.
QUESTIONS: If you have questions prior to the tournament, please email Tournament Director Renee Hand.
By clicking on the registration link below, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the above rules.
To register your Doubles team, one partner should complete the registration first. The system will send a confirmation email with a link to register the other partner. Once the first partner is registered, you (the second partner) will be able to select them as your partner during the registration process and the system will create the team. Note: only the second partner has to select their partner's name during registration, the first partner does not.
