Player's Guide to ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors 13-18 in South Africa 2026

1. Register for ITF Junior IPIN membership (and pay the annual fee), and complete the mandatory ITF Academy courses. You can't enter or play without both.
2. Enter online through IPIN before the Entry Deadline: 14:00 GMT on the Tuesday 20 days before the Monday of the tournament week. (Grand Slams, J500s and their warm-up events can have earlier deadlines of 41, 34, 27 or 20 days.)
3. Check your entry. It's your responsibility to check the deadline on the tournament fact sheet in IPIN, confirm you got a confirmation email, and then follow your position on the acceptance lists.
4. Withdraw online by the Withdrawal Deadline (14:00 GMT on the Tuesday 13 days before the tournament week) if you can't play. After that, you're committed to play if you're on the main draw or qualifying list.

Entering more than one tournament in the same week: at the Withdrawal Deadline you're kept on only one list. Main draw beats qualifying, and qualifying beats alternate; after that, the entry priority you stated applies. If you didn't state one, the highest-graded tournament wins, then the list you're highest on, then the tournament closest to your home country.

At the tournament, you must show your passport or photo ID to the ITF Supervisor.

ITF junior tournaments are graded J30, J60, J100, J200, J300 and J500, with the Junior Grand Slams above them. The ITF Juniors Committee sets each tournament's grade.

Singles points (elimination draw)

Doubles points are lower, e.g. J30 winners 25, J60 winners 45, J100 winners 75, J200 winners 150, J300 winners 225.

Minimum singles main draw sizes: 16 for J30, 32 for J60 to J300, 48 for J500. Boys' and girls' draws must be the same size.

Some J30 and J60 events use a round robin first stage, with their own points table.

The Combined Junior Ranking counts results from the last 52 weeks:

• your six best singles results, plus
• one quarter of your six best doubles results,

from Junior Grand Slams, J500, the ITF Junior Finals, international team competitions and J300, J200, J100, J60 and J30 tournaments.

Other rules:

• You only earn points once you win a round in the main draw (or a round robin match). A first-round bye doesn't count, but a walkover or a retirement after the match has started does.
• If you play two editions of the same J100 or higher event within 52 weeks, only your better result counts. Results from the same J60 or J30 can count more than once.
• Ties are broken by points from Grand Slams, then by points at each grade going down (J500, then J300, then J200 and so on), then the same for doubles.
• You must register for an ITF junior IPIN membership to enter and be ranked.

Unless the ITF approves otherwise:

• No-let rule in all singles and doubles: a serve that clips the net and lands in the correct box is in play.
• A tie-break is played at six games all; first to seven points, winning by two.
• In a match tie-break, first to 10 points, winning by two.
• No-Ad: at deuce one deciding point is played and the receiver chooses which side to receive on.
• Timing (ITF Rules of Tennis): up to 25 seconds between points, 90 seconds at a change of ends (none after the first game of a set or during a tie-break), 120 seconds at a set break, and a warm-up of up to five minutes.

In severe weather, the organiser may switch to other scoring methods approved in the 2026 Rules of Tennis.

On-court coaching is never allowed during a match (including the warm-up).

Off-court coaching (from the stands or a designated area) depends on the grade:

Where it is allowed, under the ITF Rules of Tennis:

• Never during a point.
• Between points it must be brief and discreet: spoken only when coach and player are at the same end of the court, or by hand signals.
• Not during an extreme heat 10-minute break.

Coaching in breach of these rules is a code violation against you, and "coach" includes any relative or representative. Coaches also must not swear, make obscene gestures, or abuse officials, opponents or spectators.

Offences such as audible or visible obscenity, racket or ball abuse, verbal or physical abuse, unsportsmanlike conduct and coaching violations are penalised on the Point Penalty Schedule:

• After the third code violation, the ITF Supervisor decides whether each further offence is a default.
• A penalty under the schedule is final and can't be appealed.
• The Supervisor can also default you immediately for a single serious violation.
• Your coach's behaviour counts against you. For this rule a "coach" includes any representative or relative, so parents are covered too.
• Time violations between points are handled separately: a server gets a warning then loses a serve for each later violation; a receiver gets a warning then a point penalty.

Lateness

• Matches follow the posted order of play without delay, and you must be ready when your match is called.
• If you are not ready to play within 15 minutes of your match being called, you are defaulted, unless the ITF Supervisor decides otherwise in the circumstances. Further penalties can also apply.

Dress and equipment

• Wear clean, customarily acceptable tennis clothing. Sweatshirts, gym shorts, dress shirts, T-shirts or other inappropriate clothing are not allowed during a match, including the warm-up.
• Wear proper tennis shoes that don't damage or mark the court beyond normal wear. On clay courts, shoes must be ones generally accepted for clay.
• The Chair Umpire or Supervisor can order you to change immediately. Refusing can lead to an immediate default.

Toilet / change of attire breaks

• Singles: one break per match, taken on a set break. (Change of attire breaks are for girls' matches.)
• Doubles: two breaks per team. If both partners leave together it counts as one.
• In doubles, and in singles played as two tie-break sets plus a match tie-break, a break is allowed before the match tie-break.
• A break taken after the warm-up has started counts as one of your breaks. A break not taken on a set break is allowed, but you are penalised under the Point Penalty Schedule if you're not ready to play in time.

Medical time-outs

• Allowed only after the Sports Physiotherapist has assessed you and decided you need treatment time.
• Normally taken at a change of ends or set break, unless the condition is acute and needs immediate treatment.
• Three minutes of treatment, starting when the physio is ready.
• One medical time-out per distinct treatable condition. All signs of heat illness count as one condition.

No extra time is ever given just to recover your condition (fitness or fatigue).

The ITF Supervisor measures the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) on court at least three times a day (30 minutes before play, mid-day and before the last match), or the Heat Index if WBGT can't be measured.

When modification applies:

• In a best-of-three tie-break sets match, a 10-minute break is allowed between the second and third sets if any player asks for it.
• No coaching is allowed during that break.
• The Supervisor may also delay match starts until conditions improve.

At the suspension level, play is suspended. The Supervisor can also apply these procedures at lower readings if needed for player safety.

Under the 2026 ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors Regulations:

• Always withdraw if you won't attend. Withdrawals are made online through IPIN. The Withdrawal Deadline is 14:00 GMT on the Tuesday 13 days before the Monday of the tournament week. Withdrawing after that deadline is a Late Withdrawal and can be penalised under the Code of Conduct.
• One tournament per week. If you are a no-show, or you withdraw or retire from the singles or doubles main draw in any round, you may not play singles or doubles in any other tournament that week. Breaking this means a default and loss of all ranking points from that tournament.
• Leaving early. If you leave before you are knocked out of every event you entered, or retire for medical reasons without a valid medical certificate from the tournament doctor, you forfeit all ranking points from all events at that tournament and can be penalised under the Code of Conduct.
• Retiring after a match has started still counts as a win for your opponent for ranking points.