By Tony Lance
Photos by Cynthia Lum/Wire Image, Jeff Davies/Propix, Soren Hald/Getty Images, Christopher Bissel/Getty Images

From local mixers to national tournaments, tennis offers many different opportunities for competition. Here’s how to find out where you fit in.

Someone once said it’s better to have competed and lost than never to have competed at all. OK, that’s not exactly what they said, but competition is every bit as primal an instinct as love is. We have an innate desire to test ourselves against others, and sport gives us a healthy outlet for that urge. One of the great things about organized tennis is the variety of competitive formats that are offered.

Whether you’re new to the game or an experienced player looking for a new challenge, there are plenty of choices.

YOUR OPTIONS

Despite what you see on TV, not all tennis is played in cutthroat single-elimination tournaments. You can play on league teams, join a club ladder, or sign up for a mixer. Here are the five most common types of competition and what each has to offer.

INFORMAL TENNIS

What is it? Most of the tennis that’s played is social or casual tennis. Whether it’s a foursome that meets every Tuesday for gossip and a couple of sets or a pick-up singles match at your local courts, social tennis is competition at its most basic. Typically little, if anything, is on the line.

How to get involved. Check with your local tennis club (there may be a bulletin board where people leave names and numbers) or ask your teaching pro to recommend potential partners.

How to prepare.You need an understanding of scoring, rules, and etiquette. Then try to find a partner who’s on your level.

What to expect. Even in casual matches, competition can bring out negative qualities in otherwise likeable people. Be prepared to cut your opponent a little slack if he or she gets bent out of shape.

How to get the most out of it. Treat casual matches as practice. After all, a loss here affects nothing but your ego, and only that if you let it. Use these matches to work on any skills that may need touching up, to try new shots, or to learn how to compete.

Ad In. Flexibility, low stakes, and a chance to hang out with friends make this a good choice for many players. This is a fine place to get started competing.

Ad Out. Unless you develop a wide circle of tennis buddies, you may find yourself facing off against the same players week in, week out—which can get monotonous. Also, highly competitive people may not be satisfied with wins that carry no formal recognition or reward.

MIXERS

What are they? Think of mixers as tennis parties. Their purpose is to allow a group of players, often of varying abilities, to compete against a variety of opponents in a casual, social atmosphere (which may include food and refreshments). There are any number of formats: You could be asked to play 30 minutes each with three different prearranged opponents, or if you’re playing doubles you might play one set, after which the losing team rotates one court to the right while the winners stay put to play the team moving over from the left.

How to get involved. Many clubs offer mixers on a regular basis, especially on days of the week when court time might otherwise go unused (and it’s not unusual for clubs to allow nonmembers to attend).

How to prepare. Other than knowing basic rules, scoring, and court etiquette, mixers require no special preparation. They’re “come as you are” tennis.

What to expect. Because there are many types of mixers, ask questions before you sign up. Are players of all abilities welcome? Are participants grouped by skill level? How much playing time will you get? Is it singles, doubles, or mixed? And be sure to ask what format will be used to encourage mixing. For example, sometimes it’s as simple as playing one set before changing partners and moving to another court; sometimes you play for a certain amount of time and then sit out; at some mixers, elaborate rotation schedules are used so that participants play doubles with as many different people as possible. Know in advance what you’re in for and you’re less likely to be disappointed.

How to get the most out of it. Don’t expect high-quality tennis or serious competition. That doesn’t mean you won’t get it, it’s just that mixers by nature are usually about having fun. It’s always a wise idea to get a feel for the competitive tenor of a mixer ahead of time. If you don’t, you may play too seriously—a breach of tennis etiquette equivalent to behaving rudely at a cocktail party.

Ad In. If you come prepared to be social, mixers can be a great way to make connections through friendly match play.

Ad Out. Like a potluck dinner, you never know what you’re going to get until you’re there. But hardcore competition and a strenuous workout are unlikely.

LADDERS

What are they? Ladders, which seem to have waned in popularity in recent years, are so named because players try to climb, rung by rung, to the top of an ordered group of players—just as the pros do in the rankings. The principle is simple: If you beat someone, you move ahead of him and he moves down.

How to get involved. Ladder competitions are generally contested at clubs, but occasionally you’ll find one with a larger scope—some companies and universities run ladders for their employees or students. Check with your club or your local public park to see if they offer one.

How to prepare. Find out how the ladder works. Often, it’s the players’ responsibility to schedule matches. Some ladders use specially designed computer software to arrange matchups and determine rankings. What are the rules for issuing challenges? Some ladders allow open challenges, where the lowest-ranked player can play the top player. Others impose a limit as to how far above your position you can challenge, and still others arrange the matchups for you. Also, find out how long the ladder lasts. Shorter is usually better.

What to expect. Ladders are almost always for singles, and they can be very competitive. Since names and rankings are often posted at the club or even in newsletters or on Web sites, pride is at stake and participants approach ladder matches more seriously than they would a mixer or friendly match. Ladders tend to be most exciting in the first few months as players jostle for position.

How to get the most out of it. You’ll get just what you give if you participate in a ladder. Win and you see your name move up the list; if you’re inactive or lose more often than not, you’ll sink. Ladders work well for take-charge types who need flexibility. Because there’s usually no one to tell you who and when to play, you have to make the effort to arrange matches. If you tend to be complacent, a ladder may be difficult for you to manage.

Ad In. Ladders offer flexible scheduling and serious competition.

Ad Out. They can become stagnant after a few months, once players fall into order.

LEAGUES

What are they? Built around teams, with doubles often emphasized, league matches take place at set times during specific seasons, typically lasting as long as eight weeks, not counting playoffs.

How to get involved. The USTA runs leagues throughout the nation (www. usta.com). There’s also TeamTennis (www.worldteamtennis.com), and some cities offer their own leagues.

How to prepare. Find a team that has players of an ability level similar to yours. The USTA bases its leagues on NTRP ratings; if in doubt, go with the team that plays at the lowest level that you think you’re qualified for. Why? You may have intermediate strokes, but if you’re not used to competing regularly, you could have only a beginner’s competitive skills. Plus, the better players on a lower-level team will end up playing more often and at a higher position. If you’re not sufficiently challenged at that level, you can move up the next season.

What to expect. Players generally take leagues seriously. Because most leagues incorporate doubles, expect to play doubles as much as, if not more than, singles. Although some captains make an effort to include everyone on the roster, most go with their best available lineup for each match.

How to get the most out of it. Many teams have weekly practice sessions, and some even hire a coach. Take advantage of this opportunity to improve. Also, learn to play and enjoy doubles—you’ll have a better chance of participating if you can play both singles and doubles.

Ad In. Leagues are the fastest-growing competitive format. The USTA’s league program has gone from 13,026 participants when it began in 1980 to more than 532,000 in 2003 for a reason: Leagues offer players the best of all worlds—strong, meaningful competition, a social component, and a regular schedule with some flexibility (you probably won’t have to play every week).

Ad Out. If you’re not good enough, you may be relegated to the bench for much of the season. And some players find league play too intense.

TOURNAMENTS

What are they? The most familiar type of competition. Although they typically use a single-elimination draw (the type used in pro tournaments, in which you move forward until you lose), tournaments can also employ a round-robin format so that everyone has multiple matches, or have consolation draws. Tournaments are usually staged over a week or a weekend and are organized by age or skill level.

How to get involved. Like leagues, tournaments are run by a number of organizations, such as clubs, charities, companies, and even towns and cities. USTA-sanctioned events carry the most prestige, and players who do well can earn rankings at the state, sectional, and national level.

How to prepare. If you’re trying to move from ladder or league play into tournaments, the biggest difference will be fitness, especially for singles. Because tournaments are often contested in a short amount of time (usually a weekend), it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll play more than one match a day if you keep winning.

What to expect. Tournaments tend to be serious affairs. Most participants are there for one thing: to win. Be prepared for intense competition. And be prepared to do a lot of waiting if you win. It’s not unusual to spend hours at a tournament site waiting for your next match, especially in the early stages of the event. Bring something to read. And until you become a familiar face and are accepted into a group of regular tournament players, don’t expect many opportunities for socializing.

How to get the most out of it. Because they reward skill, consistency, and fitness, tournaments offer the ultimate competitive challenge for tennis players. But be prepared for a level of intensity, both physical and mental, that’s a step above other formats.

Ad In. The pinnacle of tennis competition, tournaments are where the best players at each skill level shine. If you crave serious competition, these are for you.

Ad Out. Be prepared to devote a big chunk of time to tournaments. They can take all your free time for an entire week or weekend. And if travel is involved, an early loss can leave you wondering if it was worth it.

THE SELF-ASSESSMENT

Now that you know what’s out there, you need to find out what’s in you. Before you sign up for any type of tennis competition, ask yourself the following five questions. The answers will lead you to the competitive format that suits you best.

How much time do you have? The amount of free time that you can devote may limit your options. If you can play only every other Sunday, tournaments are out of the question, but a ladder might work.

What’s your skill level? You may beat everyone at your neighborhood court, but that doesn’t mean you’re ready for high-level league play. Most players overrate themselves, and getting blown away in your first tournament match won’t leave you eager to enter another one. Have a pro evaluate your game to deter- mine your NTRP level. To learn more about the NTRP scale, log on to www.usta.com, click on “Competitive Tennis,” then “USA League Tennis,” and choose “NTRP.”

How serious are you about competition? If you want to be challenged, a social mixer won’t cut it. Know what type of competitor you are before you commit to any format.

How much social interaction are you looking for? If you want to meet new friends who share your interest in the sport, you can find them in any type of competition, but some make it easier than others. If you play on a league team, you’ll see the same group of people every week, which will make it relatively easy to get to know them. But tournaments, where you’ll play people you’ve never met before and may never see again, isn’t going to widen your social circle unless you become a regular on the local circuit.

How fit are you? If you’re out of shape, you can still have a good time at a social mixer. But if you enter a singles tournament with a 32-player draw that’s contested over a three-day weekend in August, you’d better put in a little roadwork ahead of time.