What Is the Age Limit for Tennis Players in Professional Tournaments?

There’s no upper age limit for tennis players in professional tournaments. You can compete at the highest level well into your 40s-or even 50s-if your body and game still hold up. But there is a minimum age rule, and it’s not as simple as just being 18.

Minimum Age to Play Professional Tennis

The ATP and WTA, the governing bodies for men’s and women’s professional tennis, both set the minimum age at 14 for playing in most professional events. But that doesn’t mean a 14-year-old can just sign up for Wimbledon or the US Open. There are strict limits on how many tournaments they can enter each year.

Players under 18 are restricted to a maximum of 10 professional tournaments per calendar year, including Grand Slams. This rule exists to protect young athletes from burnout and injury. Tennis is physically demanding, and pushing kids too hard too early has led to serious injuries in the past. The 10-tournament cap forces families and coaches to be strategic about which events to enter.

There’s one exception: Grand Slam tournaments. Players aged 14 and older can enter the main draw of a Grand Slam if they qualify through the junior circuit or receive a wildcard. But even then, they’re still counted toward that 10-tournament limit. So if a 15-year-old plays the Australian Open main draw, that’s one of their 10 allowed pro events for the year.

How Do Junior Players Get Into Pro Events?

Most young players start on the ITF World Tennis Tour, which is the entry-level professional circuit. These tournaments offer lower prize money and fewer ranking points than ATP or WTA events, but they’re where future stars get their first real experience.

Players under 18 need written consent from a parent or legal guardian to compete in ITF events. They also have to follow a separate set of rules called the “Junior Grand Slam Entry System.” This system tracks how many junior tournaments they’ve played and how many professional ones they’ve entered. If a player under 18 wins too many junior titles too quickly, they might be invited to play in pro events before turning 18-but they still can’t exceed the 10-tournament cap.

Some players break through early. Coco Gauff was 14 when she played her first ITF event in 2018. By 15, she was competing in WTA qualifiers. Emma Raducanu played her first professional match at 14 and won the US Open at 18 without dropping a set. These cases are rare. Most top players don’t turn pro until they’re 16 or 17.

What About Grand Slam Qualifying?

Grand Slams have their own entry rules. Players must either be ranked high enough to get direct entry, win a qualifying tournament, or receive a wildcard. For players under 18, the ranking requirement is the same as for adults-but the number of wildcards given to juniors is limited.

At the Australian Open, for example, the junior champions from the previous year often get wildcards into the main draw. But even then, they’re still subject to the 10-tournament limit. A 16-year-old who gets a wildcard into the Australian Open main draw and then plays the French Open qualifiers? That’s two of their 10 allowed pro events already used up.

There’s no age-based ranking system. A 14-year-old ranked No. 500 in the world can enter any ITF tournament they qualify for. But if they’re under 18, they can’t play more than 10 pro events total in a year-not even if they’re ranked in the top 100.

Is There an Upper Age Limit?

No. There is no official upper age limit in professional tennis. Players can compete as long as they’re physically able and ranked high enough to get into tournaments.

Some of the most iconic players in tennis history competed well past 40. Roger Federer played his last ATP match at 41. Serena Williams competed in Grand Slam events until she was 40. Kim Clijsters made a comeback at 28 and won the US Open at 29. At the 2025 Australian Open, 43-year-old Iga Świątek’s former coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, was still coaching players on the ATP Challenger Tour-though he hadn’t played professionally since his 30s.

On the senior circuit, players over 35 compete in the ATP Champions Tour and WTA Legends Tour. These are exhibition events, not ranked tournaments, but they’re still professional. Players like Boris Becker, Martina Navratilova, and John McEnroe still play in front of crowds, often for charity. Some even win matches.

The real barrier isn’t age-it’s performance. If you’re 45 and ranked in the top 500, you can enter ATP Challenger events. But you’ll likely lose in the first round. The physical demands of modern tennis-powerful serves, explosive movement, long rallies-favor younger bodies. Still, there are exceptions. In 2024, 41-year-old Rafael Nadal’s doubles partner, Marc López, played his last pro match at 42 and still won a Challenger title in doubles.

Why Do Age Rules Exist?

The age restrictions aren’t about fairness-they’re about protection. Tennis is one of the most physically taxing sports. A 14-year-old’s bones, muscles, and joints aren’t fully developed. Playing too many pro matches too early increases the risk of stress fractures, tendonitis, and long-term joint damage.

Studies from the International Tennis Federation show that junior players who play more than 15 professional matches a year before age 16 are three times more likely to suffer a serious injury by age 20. The 10-tournament cap was introduced in 2013 after a wave of injuries among teenage players, including a 15-year-old who needed back surgery after playing 18 pro events in one year.

The rule also prevents exploitation. In the past, some coaches and managers pushed young players into tournaments just to earn prize money or sponsorship deals. The ITF now requires parental consent and mandates that players under 18 have a certified coach and a medical plan in place before entering any pro event.

What Happens When a Player Turns 18?

Once a player turns 18, the 10-tournament cap disappears. They can enter as many ATP or WTA events as they want, including Grand Slams, Masters 1000s, and WTA 1000s. Their ranking becomes the only factor that determines entry.

Many players see a jump in performance after turning 18. Their bodies mature, their mental game strengthens, and they’re no longer restricted by tournament limits. In 2023, 11 of the top 50 ATP players turned 18 in the previous 12 months. All of them played at least 25 professional events that year.

But turning 18 doesn’t guarantee success. Many players who were top juniors fade after 18 because they weren’t prepared for the physical and mental grind of the pro tour. Others take years to adapt. The average age for a player to break into the top 100 is 21 for men and 20 for women.

Can You Play Tennis Professionally After 50?

Technically, yes-but not on the main ATP or WTA tours. The physical demands of modern tennis are too high. The average serve speed on the ATP Tour is over 120 mph. The average match lasts over two hours. Most players over 45 can’t sustain that pace.

But there are professional opportunities. The ATP Champions Tour and WTA Legends Tour host events for retired players over 35. These are exhibition matches, but they pay appearance fees and sometimes prize money. Some former pros also coach, commentate, or run academies.

There’s also the Over-40 and Over-50 ITF Seniors Circuit. These are ranked tournaments for players aged 40+, with divisions for 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, and so on. Players compete for ranking points and prize money, though the amounts are small-usually under $1,000 per event. Still, some seniors play competitively for decades. One 72-year-old man in Florida won his 50th senior tournament in 2024.

Bottom Line: Age Is Just a Number-But Rules Are Real

If you’re under 18, you can play professional tennis, but you’re limited to 10 events a year. If you’re 18 or older, you can play as much as you want. And if you’re 50, 60, or 70? You can still compete in senior events, stay active, and even win titles.

The real question isn’t whether you’re too old or too young. It’s whether you’re ready-for the training, the travel, the pressure, and the pain. Tennis doesn’t care how old you are. It just asks: Can you keep up?