One level, three languages: FFT, UTR, NTRP
Every tennis country speaks its own ranking language. A French 15/3, a UTR 7 and an NTRP 4.5 can be the same player, but nothing on their licence says so. Here's how each system actually works, and one table to translate between them.
How the FFT ranking works
The French federation ranks players on a ladder of divisions: NC (unranked), then 40 down to 30/1, 30 to 15/1, and up into the negative rankings of national level. You climb by accumulating your best wins over a season against a threshold set for each division: losses to better players cost you nothing. It rewards competing often and beating players at or above your level. One season, one recalculation: your ranking is a photograph of your best tennis that year.
How UTR works
UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) is a global scale from 1.00 to 16.50, used from juniors to pros, and the standard in Australia and US college tennis. It's algorithmic and match-by-match: every result updates your number, and the score matters, not just the win: losing 6-4 6-4 to a much stronger player can help you more than crushing a weaker one. Men and women share one scale. It reacts fast: it's a live picture of your current form.
How NTRP works
NTRP is the American league scale, from 1.0 (beginner) to 7.0 (touring pro), in half-point steps. You self-rate when you start, and the USTA adjusts you based on league results. It's less granular than FFT or UTR, but it's the language of club tennis in the US.
The equivalence tables
Rung for rung: an FFT 30/1 is a B4T 3.5
FFT › B4T
Rung for rung, 1:1| FFT | B4T | FFT | B4T |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC | 1.0 | 15/2 | 6.0 |
| 40/2 | 1.3 | 15/1 | 6.3 |
| 40/1 | 1.5 | 15 | 6.7 |
| 40 | 1.7 | 5/6 | 7.0 |
| 30/5 | 2.0 | 4/6 | 7.3 |
| 30/4 | 2.3 | 3/6 | 7.7 |
| 30/3 | 2.7 | 2/6 | 8.0 |
| 30/2 | 3.0 | 1/6 | 8.3 |
| 30/1 | 3.5 | 0 | 8.7 |
| 30 | 4.0 | −2/6 | 9.0 |
| 15/5 | 4.5 | −4/6 | 9.3 |
| 15/4 | 5.0 | −15 | 9.7 |
| 15/3 | 5.5 | Numbered | 9.7the 10 is earned |
UTR › B4T
Global scale: each band lands on a rung| UTR | B4T | UTR | B4T |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 2.5 | 1.0 | 7.8 – 8.1 | 6.3 |
| 2.5 – 3.4 | 2.0 | 8.1 – 8.5 | 6.7 |
| 3.4 – 4.1 | 2.3 | 8.5 – 8.9 | 7.0 |
| 4.1 – 4.8 | 2.7 | 8.9 – 9.3 | 7.3 |
| 4.8 – 5.4 | 3.0 | 9.3 – 9.7 | 7.7 |
| 5.4 – 6.0 | 3.5 | 9.7 – 10.1 | 8.0 |
| 6.0 – 6.3 | 4.0 | 10.1 – 10.6 | 8.3 |
| 6.3 – 6.7 | 4.5 | 10.6 – 11.0 | 8.7 |
| 6.7 – 7.0 | 5.0 | 11.0 – 11.5 | 9.0 |
| 7.0 – 7.4 | 5.5 | 11.5 – 12.0 | 9.3 |
| 7.4 – 7.8 | 6.0 | 12.0 + | 9.7the 10 is earned |
NTRP › B4T
Half point steps, seeds at the division entry| NTRP | B4T |
|---|---|
| < 2.0 | 1.0 |
| 2.0 – 2.9 | 2.0 |
| 3.0 – 3.4 | 3.0 |
| 3.5 – 3.9 | 4.0 |
| 4.0 – 4.4 | 5.0 |
| 4.5 – 4.9 | 6.0 |
| 5.0 – 5.4 | 7.0 |
| 5.5 – 5.9 | 8.0 |
| 6.0 – 7.0 | 9.0 |
Reference table: the app's form takes an FFT ranking or a UTR rating.
The B4T ladder copies the French one rung for rung, so that conversion is exact. The others can't be: UTR tracks current form point by point and NTRP places you in a league bracket, so they land you on the closest rung, not on an identity. And that's only the starting point anyway. One scale from 1.0 to 10.0, where your rating moves when you validate a rung on court.