Juniors: The End of the Net Surcharge

Test run for the professional sector?From 2018 on, ITF and Tennis Europa tournaments will continue to play in the age groups U12, U14 and U16 when the ball touches the net.

The ITF has announced a far-reaching change in the rules for the coming game year.In the age groups U12, U14 and U16, the serve is not repeated when the ball touches the net belt and falls into the field.The returning player must play the ball.

This change in the Let rule applies to all ITF and Tennis Europe tournaments, European Championships, Summer and Winter Cups and the Nations Challenge.It is up to the organisers to decide for themselves whether the “Junior Slams” will be able to do away with the surcharge.

It may only be a matter of time before the big tennis associations are able to push through the reformation of the let-rule in the professional sector as well.At the NextGen-Masters in Milan (7.till 11.The U21 players of the year will be the best U21 players of the year, and the replay of the markup will be waived.

Feliciano Lopez is one of the proponents of the rule change:”I would like to see the Let rule disappear on the ATP tour.There is no point in having the Let rule for a serve, but not during the change of ball.It’s something we should try out on the tour,”said the Spaniard last year.