A Look at the ITF Junior Circuit Rule Changes for 2021; Qualifier Epps Reaches Final at ITF Grade 2 in Dominican Republic, Fruhvirtova Sisters Claim Doubles Title

I usually provide a review of the changes to the ITF Junior Circuit rules once they are finalized in February, so my apologies for delaying this annual post for several weeks this year. With all the changes previously announced regarding holding tournaments during a pandemic, the changes for this year seem much less extensive than previously, but that may be because so few tournaments were actually played in 2020, providing little fodder for rule changes.

The bullet points below are not complete; the junior rule changes for 2021 are highlighted in this eight-page document. The complete rule book for the ITF Junior Circuit, which is really an important document for parents, players and coaches to be familiar with, is here. It notes the 2021 amendments with underlines.

• The ITF notes that these regulations are subject to change with introduction of World Tennis Number
• One of the significant changes is in how the rankings will be calculated, with the time frame now 104 weeks rather than the usual 52. As explained in the rules:

The composition of preceding 104 weeks:
The ranking drop date for results earned between 18 March 2019 and 15 March 2020 (i.e. 52 weeks) shall be extended by 52 weeks. Any result earned between 31 August 2020 and 14 March 2021, will replace a player’s result in the previous edition of that tournament provided the 2020 result is a better result and provided it is one of the player’s best six results. 

From 15 March 2021, ranking points earned in 2019 and/or 2020 will drop on an ongoing weekly basis and shall be replaced with ranking points earned from tournaments in 2021. Only 2 results earned in one edition of a higher-grade tournament (JA, J1/B1, J2/B2 and J3/B3) shall count towards a player’s best six results during the 104-week period (i.e. double counting of the same tournament is not permitted). 

Results from the same J4 and J5 tournament may be counted more than once within a player’s best six results during the 104-week period.

From 13 December 2021, the combined junior ranking shall take into account results from the previous 52 weeks only

• If due to an administrative error too many players arrive on-site and Sign-In to play the Tournament, the following procedures will be followed: the last two (2) players accepted into the Tournament based upon the most current updated Acceptance List (excluding Wild Cards and Qualifiers) will play a preliminary match for one (1) position in the draw. 

This actually happened one year at the Easter Bowl Grade B1, and it was handled just as this new rule now stipulates.

• The procedure for doubles acceptances has changed quite extensively, with singles wild cards now having a formal status; they had none previously.
• Tournaments at the lower grades are allowed to have draws of 32, with only 17-22 direct acceptances.
• Junior regional reserved regulations have changed, but those are provided only in Europe and South America, so are not applicable to those from the United States.
• Players born in 2002 may carry over their 21 December 2020 ITF Combined Junior ranking for the purposes of entering $15,000 Tournaments until 31 December 2021.

Again, these are just some of the changes, and I am by no means an expert on them, but I do think it's important to highlight these updates, just as a reminder that the rules are always evolving.

The finals are set for this week's ITF Grade 2 in the Dominican Republic, with American Gracie Epps advancing to her first ITF Junior Circuit final. The 16-year-old qualifier, a blue chip from Oklahoma, defeated wild card Olivia Lincer 7-5, 6-2 in today's semifinal. Epps, who has yet to drop a set in her seven wins this week, will battle for the title with top seed Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic, who beat unseeded Marina Stakusic of Canada 6-1, 6-4.

The boys final will feature the top two seeds, with No. 1 Jack Pinnington Jones of Great Britain playing No. 2 seed Leo Borg of Sweden for the title. Pinnington Jones beat unseeded Bor Artnak of Slovenia 6-4, 6-2, while Borg got past No. 5 seed and TCU recruit Lui Maxted of Great Britain 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.

Pinnington Jones and Maxted teamed up for the doubles title, with the top seeds beating the unseeded Polish team of Olaf Pieczkowski and Filip Pieczonka 7-5, 6-7(4), 10-7.

Linda Fruhvirtova and her 13-year-old sister Brenda captured the girls doubles title today, with the No. 2 seeds defeating No. 3 seeds Lucie Havlickova and Klara Milicevic of Sweden 6-4, 6-3. The sisters did not lose a set in their four victories.