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| Frequently Asked Questions |
ITF Men's Circuit Tournaments
How can I enter an ITF Futures tournament?
All players (ranked and un-ranked) can enter ITF Futures tournaments.
All entries and withdrawals must be submitted on-line or on the official ITF Entry Form in writing and sent to the ITF by fax (emails are not accepted). The Entry Deadline is Thursday by 14.00 hrs Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), eighteen (18) days prior to the Monday of the tournament week. Once the Deadline has passed, the Qualifying and Main Draw Acceptance Lists will be published online.
Players accepted into a Qualifying Draw must still sign-in on site before the Qualifying sign-in Deadline (see tournament factsheet for venue and time)
N.B. Fact sheet information can be found by clicking on the relevant tournament on the website. Here you can find the Tournament Site details, tournament dates, size of qualifying draw, hotel details and other useful information for the event.
Do tournament deadlines change over the Christmas/New Year period?
Please check the detailed calendar for Christmas/New Year tournament deadlines. Please also note that deadlines may also change at times of other National Holidays. It is the player's responsibility to check for changes to deadlines.
How many tournaments can I enter and how do the priorities work?
Players can enter up to a maximum of six (6) tournaments for any tournament week and MUST indicate a different priority for each tournament entered.
At the Withdrawal Deadline:
If a player has been accepted into an ATP Main Draw, ATP Qualifying event or a Challenger Main Draw, he will be immediately withdrawn from the Entry Lists of all ITF Men's Circuit Tournaments
If a player has not been accepted into any ATP or Challenger tournament but is accepted into the Main Draw or Qualifying Draw of one ITF Men's Circuit tournament, he will be immediately withdrawn from the Entry Lists of all other tournaments, including ATP and Challenger Alternate Lists.
If a player has not been accepted into any ATP or Challenger tournament, but is accepted into the Main Draw or Qualifying Draw of more than one ITF Men's Circuit tournament occuring during the same period, he will remain on one List and will be immediately withdrawn from the Entry Lists of all other Tournaments, including ATP and Challenger Alternate Lists, according to the following criteria:
Main Draw takes priority over Qualifying
Tournament Entry Priority
If a player did not state an entry priority, he will be immediately withdrawn from all but one Entry List according to the following criteria:
Tournaments offering the highest prize money will take priority, or if equal;
The Entry List on which he is highest placed will take priority, or if equal;
The tournament which is geographically closest to his country of Nationality will take priority
Where can I find the ITF Circuit calendar?
All tournament information is available on the IPIN and Men's Circuit websites within the Tournaments section. Download a one page calendar with an overview of the whole year, or view more detailed tournament information, listed in date order. The detailed calendar is published in blocks of three months at a time. Fact sheets are available under the relevant tournament heading.
I am just beginning my career on the ITF Pro Circuit. What information will be useful to me? And is it better to choose any particular event?
Players can view cut-offs (the ranking of the last player directly accepted into the Main Draw and Qualifying) from the previous year, this will give an idea of standard of players who played the previous year. Once the Entry Deadline has passed, players can view the Acceptance Lists online to get an idea of the number and ranking of players that have entered.
N.B. On-site Alternates signing in for qualifying does not automatically mean a player will be accepted into the draw as it depends on certain criteria, including the size of the qualifying draw, the number of players that have entered (those ATP ranked players on the Acceptance list will be accepted first), the number of players that sign in.
Once the Entry Deadline has passed, what are the ITF procedures for compiling the Acceptance Lists?
Once the Entry Deadline has passed, and the latest ATP rankings are assigned, if a player is accepted into the Main Draw or Qualifying Draw of more than one ITF Men's Circuit tournament occuring during the same period, he will remain on one List and will be immediately withdrawn from the Entry Lists of all other Tournaments according to the following criteria:
Main Draw takes priority over Qualifying
Tournament Entry Priority
If a player did not state an entry priority, he will be immediately withdrawn from all but one Entry List according to the following criteria:
Tournaments offering the highest prize money will take priority, or if equal;
The Entry List on which he is highest placed will take priority, or if equal;
The tournament which is geographically closest to his country of Nationality will take priority
At this point, he will be automatically withdrawn from all the other tournament lists as an "automatic withdrawal". As a player is withdrawn, the next player on the alternates lists moves up into the Qualifying Draw. This process continues until NO player has been accepted into more than one tournament. At this point the lists are ready to be published.
N.B. Players should remember they can be accepted and therefore committed to any tournament they have entered, regardless of the chosen order of priority. A player who makes it into a Main Draw or Qualifying Draw is committed to that tournament and CANNOT play in any other event that week.
After being accepted into a Qualifying or Main Draw, can I withdraw without incurring a penalty to accept a Wildcard into a Main Draw?
No player who has entered and been accepted into the Qualifying or Main Draw of an ITF Futures tournament shall play in any other tennis event during the period of such tournament unless a written request is submitted to and authorised by the ITF, by 14:00hrs GMT on the Friday prior to the tournament week or before that tournament's Qualifying Sign-in Deadline, whichever occurs first.
Authorisation will be granted to a player:
- Nominated to represent his country in an official team competition;
- Qualifying for a Grand Slam tournament;
- Nominated to receive a Wild Card offering higher event status (i.e. Qualifying to Main Draw)
- Nominated to receive a Wild Card into a tournament in a higher prize money category, unless already accepted into a Main Draw
I cannot get through to the Site / Hotel for an event. Who should I call?
Contact the National Association organizing the tournament. If this is unsuccessful, players can contact the ITF +44 208 878 6464
What is the Freeze Deadline?
The freeze deadline is on the Thursday preceding the tournament week at 14.00hrs GMT. A player who has moved into a Main Draw or Qualifying Acceptance List by the Freeze Deadline is committed to play the tournament. After the Freeze Deadline players on the Qualifying Acceptance List will no longer be moved into the Main Draw, and players on one or more Alternate Lists will no longer be moved into the Qualifying Acceptance List. Such Alternates are not committed to play the tournament.
Players on the Qualifying Acceptance List can preserve their eligibility for known Main Draw positions following withdrawals after the Freeze Deadline by personally contacting the ITF Supervisor/Referee on-site prior to the Qualifying Sign-in Deadline. If there are no such Main Draw positions, these players are not eligible to play the qualifying and are subject to the Late Withdrawal/Non-Appearance Provisions set forth in Article II.B.1 of the Code of Conduct.
N.B. Any player who withdraws from the Main Draw or Qualifying after the Freeze Deadline, without notifying the ITF and ITF Supervisor/Referee of his withdrawal and the reason therefor shall be subject to the penalties provided for Non-Appearance.
What do I do if I need to withdraw but the Freeze Deadline has already passed?
Players cannot withdraw on-line after the Freeze Deadline of a tournament. They must submit an Official ITF Withdrawal Form (available for download on the ITF website) and fax it to the ITF on +44 208 392 4777.
I am in the Main Draw of a tournament, but have an injury and need to withdraw. What can I do?
Players can withdraw online up until the Freeze Deadline at 14.00 hrs GMT. Players should accept the fine online, and submit a Medical Certificate on the official ITF Medical Form (available for download on the ITF Website).
After the Freeze Deadline, but before the Qualifying Sign-in Deadline, players can withdraw by faxing an Official ITF Withdrawal Form and Medical Form to the ITF and Supervisor onsite.
Please note medicals MUST be submitted by the last day of the tournament, must be on the official form, in English, French or Spanish and should clearly state which tournament it relates to.
Players are permitted two (2) Withdrawals per year which shall not count as Late Withdrawal Offences, provided the player:
a. withdraws prior to the Qualifying Sign-in Deadline;
b. submits to the ITF, to be received no later than the last day of the tournament, an official ITF Medical Certification form, which must be written in English, French or Spanish and completed by a medically qualified physician, indicating the nature of the injury or illness and verifying that the player is unable to play in the specific tournament(s) from which he was forced to withdraw.
After the Qualifying Sign-in Deadline but before his Main Draw match being called, players can withdraw by faxing an Official ITF Withdrawal Form to the ITF and Supervisor onsite. Please note that these players CANNOT submit a Medical Certificate and will be required to pay the late withdrawal fine
I am in the Qualifying Draw of a tournament, but have an injury and need to withdraw. What can I do?
Players can withdraw online up until the Freeze Deadline at 14.00 hrs GMT. Players should accept the fine online, and submit a Medical Certificate on the official ITF Medical Form (available for download on the ITF Website).
After the Freeze Deadline, but before the Qualifying Sign-in Deadline, players can withdraw by faxing an Official ITF Withdrawal Form and Medical Form to the ITF and Supervisor onsite.
Please note medicals MUST be submitted by the last day of the tournament, must be on the official form, in English, French or Spanish and should clearly state which tournament it relates to.
Players are permitted two (2) Withdrawals per year which shall not count as Late Withdrawal Offences, provided the player:
a. withdraws prior to the Qualifying Sign-in Deadline;
b. submits to the ITF, to be received no later than the last day of the tournament, an official ITF Medical Certification form, which must be written in English, French or Spanish and completed by a medically qualified physician, indicating the nature of the injury or illness and verifying that the player is unable to play in the specific tournament(s) from which he was forced to withdraw.
I am on the Alternate List of a tournament, but I cannot play. What should I do?
Players on the Alternates List can withdraw at any time without penalty. If there are any withdrawals before the Freeze Deadline from the Qualifying Draw, the next player on the Alternates List will move up into the Qualifying Draw. Once in a Main Draw or Qualifying Draw, a player is committed to that tournament and will be penalized for late withdrawal or no-show and CANNOT play in any other event that week.
If I am a no-show what will happen?
Any player that is a no show at a match will be fined up to $500 which must be paid in full before any appeal is submitted. A Medical Certificate cannot be used for a no-show offence.
How can I preserve my amateur status?
Players should request an Amateur Reimbursement form from the ITF or Tournament Supervisor/Referee, complete and ensure that it is signed by the tournament Officials at the event. It is the responsibility of the player to keep record of all his Amateur Reimbursement forms.
I have a $ sign next to my name. What does this mean?
This indicates that you have received a fine and you should pay it online through your IPIN account. Once paid, please keep your Fines Receipt for your records.
I have $$ next to my name. What does this mean?
This means that you have more than US$ 500 in fines. You will NOT be allowed to enter or play in any ITF Men’s Circuit event until you have paid the balance in full.
If I require a visa / letter of invitation, what are the procedures?
Firstly, check the tournament factsheet for any specific information for obtaining a visa. ATP ranked players can download a visa invitation letter from the IPIN site once they have entered the tournament.
Non-ATP ranked players, family members, coaches or accompanying guests should contact the relevant National Association of the tournament they wish to play in, if they need assitance with visas.
N.B. It is the players’ own responsibility to find out what visas they require for countries they are travelling to and to obtain the visas in time.
IPIN Issues
Do I need an IPIN?
All players entering ITF Futures tournaments, agree as a condition of their entry to register for the annual membership and pay the appropriate fee. Failure by a player to register for IPIN membership will result in the rejection of that player's entry.
On-site Alternates and Wild Card entrants are also required to register for the annual membership and pay the appropriate fee before sign-in. Failure by a player to register for IPIN membership will result in the rejection of that player's sign-in.
I have registered and paid for the online service, but am experiencing problems entering/withdrawing from tournaments. What can I do?
You must contact the ITF, preferably by telephone or if not then by email, before the Entry or Withdrawal Deadline.
All entries/withdrawals should be made via the Online Service, where this is not possible players can still enter/withdraw via fax and should do so using the official Entry or Withdrawal Form (available for download from the ITF website. Entries/withdrawals not submitted on an official ITF Form will not be accepted or processed.
I previously obtained my IPIN but did not complete the registration. What should I do?
You should visit the IPIN site, begin the registration process and when prompted please enter your IPIN and subsequently pay the appropriate fee.
Please also see the IPIN Frequently Asked Questions section on the IPIN website.
For full information regarding the IPIN, please visit the IPIN Website
Miscellaneous
How can I update my player biography?
Players who have registered their IPIN can alter some personal information themselves via the ‘My Profile’ section of the IPIN page once logged in. If other details require changing, please email the Mens department with the information: mens@itftennis.com
N.B. Players can email the Mens Department, attaching a photo (Headshot or action shot) to show on their player biography on the website.
Any other questions? Email the Mens Department
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