In tennis, there are well over 2500 different ranking and rating systems around the world. Most systems are national or regional, and a few are used internationally.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) are the two main bodies that rank players globally. The ATP ranks men, and the WTA ranks women. These rankings are used to determine qualification for tournaments, seeding, and prize money.

But that’s just rankings, which are very different from ratings.

Tennis ratings are very complicated because different countries and regions within countries have their own tennis organizations with local tournaments and leagues that use their own rating systems. Fortunately, there is a global rating system that is growing in popularity called the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR).

So why the fuss? Why bother with rankings or ratings and what’s the difference.

Let’s start with the difference. Both rankings and ratings use algorithms based on past performance in tennis to come up with a number. In rankings, this number is used to put all players in a list with the “best” player at the top and the worst player at the bottom. This leads to the ability to compare who’s better than who. We talk a lot about the “World Number 1” (who happens to currently be Jannik Sinner for the ATP), but no one ever talks about who is at the bottom, or what that number is. 800,000?

In ratings, there is no list of players. Instead each player is compared to a universal standard. I have a rating of 4.0 (according to the NTRP rating system used by the United States Tennis Association). That doesn’t mean I’m 4th on some list. It means I can probably have a competitive match if I play with other people who are also rated as 4.0.

Fortunately, in God’s kingdom, there are no rankings. I’m not better, or worse, than anyone else. There is no one holier than me, and no one more sinful. It does me no good to say, “At least I’m better than that guy!”

“I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭14‬, ‭CSB)‬‬

In this verse, Jesus tells a parable of a Pharisee who prayed, saying he was thankful that he was better than the tax collector. Meanwhile the tax collector prayed sorrowfully, repenting of his sins. Jesus says the tax collector was on the right track.

It is no use comparing myself to anyone else. Instead, I need to compare my performance to God’s universal standard of holiness. When I do, I will always find myself lacking, in need of repentance like the tax collector.

Fortunately, Jesus forgives my sins and will let me play in His heavenly league anyway.

Dear God, thank you for the reminder never to compare myself to other people. Thank you for your unchanging standards and your forgiveness that allows me to meet them.