Tournament Providers
Tournaments are where Florida tennis shows off. Whether you are applying for your first sanction, working toward tournament director approval, or sitting on a facility full of courts and an empty weekend, everything you need starts here. The 2027 sanctioning window is open now through Sep. 27, 2026.
Where do you want to start?
Three ways into Florida tournaments. Pick the one that sounds like you.
Apply for a sanction
The 2027 window dates, fee deadlines and the new event charts.
Become a tournament director
Five steps to approval, from Safe Play to your first application.
Host at your facility
You have the courts. We can help you find a director and fill the calendar.
DATES AND DEADLINES
Sanctioning for the 2027 tournament season opens Monday, the 17th of August
What is open, what is closing, and what you can apply for.
Key dates at a glance
- Window opens: Aug. 17, 2026
- Window closes: Sunday, Sep. 27, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EDT
- Sanction fees due: Jan. 1, 2027
What you can apply for
The 2027 window covers Adult, Wheelchair and Junior tournaments: Level 3 closed, Level 4 open and closed, Level 5 open, Level 6 and Level 7. Review the charts and calendar below before you submit, because this season’s versions include a few updates. For platform walkthroughs and score reporting, the Serve Tennis help center has step by step guides.
2027 adult events chart
Levels 4 through 7, with the age, NTRP and family divisions and the key dates for each.
2027 youth events chart
Junior Circuit through Level 3, including red, orange and green ball formats.
2027 wheelchair events chart
Divisions, classifications and the events on the Florida wheelchair calendar.
2027 Level 3, 4 and 5 calendar
See what is already on the schedule before you pick your dates. National dates are subject to change.
SANCTIONING FAQ
Quick answers before you apply
The questions we get most, answered in a sentence or two. Anything we missed, our tournaments team is quick to reply.
When does the window open and close?
The 2027 window is open from Aug. 17, 2026 through Sunday, Sep. 27, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Every application in this window is for events on the 2027 calendar, January through December. Level 6, Level 7 and Junior Circuit events roll year round.
FOR TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS
Get approved, then get to work
The five steps to approval, plus the regulations, guides and forms you will use all season.
The five steps to approval
Five steps stand between you and your first sanctioned event in Florida. Work through them in order and you will be ready to submit an application before the window closes on Sep. 27, 2026.
Every tournament director must be Safe Play approved before Serve Tennis will let you submit an application, and so must the staff and volunteers helping you run the event. Safe Play combines education, a background screening and clear policies to keep players safe, built alongside the U.S. Center for SafeSport and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
Start early. The screening takes a few days, and an incomplete Safe Play status is the most common reason an application stalls.
Tournament directors are added by invitation from USTA Florida, your district, or USTA National. Once the invite lands in your inbox, accept it and your name is on the approved list.
Have not been invited yet? That is what we are here for. Send us a note and tell us a little about the events you want to run.
Serve Tennis is the USTA platform where tournaments are built, run and reported. Before you can submit an application, your USTA profile has to be linked to the organization hosting the event.
One exception: if you are an independent contractor hired by other organizations and you are not collecting player registration fees in your own account, skip the linking steps. You will be added to the approved director list, then the organization admin adds you to the tournament.
Player registration fees flow through Stripe Express, so your account needs to be connected and verified before entries open. Stripe will ask for a few verification documents during onboarding.
Check your verification status well before your first tournament goes live so refunds and payouts run smoothly.
Safe Play done, invitation accepted, organization linked, payments connected. Now you can submit your application during the sanctioning window and get your event on the 2027 Florida calendar. Applications close Sep. 27, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Tournament director resources
The rulebooks, guides and forms worth bookmarking before your first match is called.
Adult and family regulations
The tournament, ranking and sanctioning regulations that govern adult and family events.
Junior guidelines
Red, orange and green ball guidelines for running junior events the right way.
NTRP regional qualifier guide
How the NTRP National Championships work, how to set up the tournament, and how to handle the 2.5 division.
Grievances
How the grievance process works and what to do when something needs reporting. The report form lives here.
FOR FACILITIES, CLUBS AND PARKS
Bring a tournament to your courts
What hosting takes, how to find a director, and how to get your events in front of players.
How hosting works
You have the courts. Somewhere out there is a director with a draw and nowhere to play it. Here is how facilities, clubs and parks plug into the Florida tournament calendar.
The basics are simpler than most facilities expect: enough courts for the draw, dates that do not collide with nearby events, an approved tournament director, and a primary host site that is a USTA Organization Member.
If the applying organization does not control the courts, a site permission letter from whoever does is required by the application deadline of Sep. 27, 2026. Get that conversation started early.
No director on staff? You do not need one on payroll. Inside the Serve Tennis tournament application there is a search for approved tournament directors, so you can add someone already cleared to run events.
Prefer an introduction? Tell us your location, your courts and the kind of event you want to host, and we will point you toward directors working in your area.
Administrator roles control who at your facility can create tournaments, edit draws and handle payments. Each role has its own permissions, so give people the access their job actually needs.
Once your tournament is approved it lands on the USTA calendar, which is where competitive players go looking. Register with us and you can submit your other events to the USTA Florida calendar too.
Looking for a tournament director
Tell us where you are and what you want to host. We will connect you with approved directors running events nearby.
Already running events
Submit your tournaments, clinics and socials so Florida players can find them on our calendar.
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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosting Tournaments
For facilities and directors who want to host events.
This page walks facilities and directors through hosting a sanctioned event, from getting started to running the day. Reach out to us and we’ll help you plan your first tournament.
There’s an approval process to become a sanctioned director, along with the tools you’ll use to run events. This page has the steps.
Serve Tennis is the platform used to manage sanctioned tournaments, from entries to scheduling and results. Resources for using it are linked here.
Sanctioned events appear in players’ USTA accounts and the tournament listings, so players can search and register. Our tournaments page shows the player side.
Depending on the level, you may need certified officials on site. We can help you connect with officials in your area.
Connect With Us
Have a question, need some guidance, or want to learn more?
Reach out anytime, and our team will be happy to point you in the right direction.