Emailing a tennis college coach is fundamentally different from emailing a football or basketball coach. In team sports, coaches evaluate film. In tennis, coaches evaluate data — specifically your UTR rating, tournament results, and win-loss record against quality opponents. A tennis recruiting email that leads with UTR and results will get read. One that leads with a highlight montage or generic praise for the program will get skimmed and forgotten.
The good news is that tennis coaches — especially at the D2, D3, and NAIA levels — are highly responsive to well-crafted direct outreach. Because coaches can verify your competitive level through UTR before they even open your email, they can quickly assess whether you're a realistic recruit. That makes the email more about confirming fit and expressing genuine interest than about convincing a coach to evaluate you. For the general email framework that applies across all sports, see our guide on how to email a college coach.
What tennis coaches want to see in a first email
Tennis coaches open recruiting emails looking for specific information in a specific order. Every element below should be in your first email — and the order matters.
1. UTR rating (current). This is the single most important data point in your email. Lead with it. A coach who sees a UTR that matches their recruiting range will read the rest. A coach who sees a UTR below their range will stop — no matter how well-written the rest of the email is.
2. Tournament results and competitive history. Include your most recent 3–5 tournament results with event names, divisions, and results. USTA national and sectional results carry the most weight. Include your win-loss record for the current year and overall career record if it's strong.
3. Singles and doubles records. Specify both. Some coaches recruit primarily for singles lineup spots; others need doubles specialists. A strong doubles record alongside a solid singles game broadens your recruiting appeal.
4. Match video (full points, not highlights). Tennis coaches want to see how you play points — not a montage of winners. Upload 15–20 minutes of match footage showing a range of situations: serving, returning, baseline rallies, net approaches, and how you handle pressure points. Full sets are even better.
5. Academic profile. GPA, test scores (if applicable), intended major, and any academic honors. Coaches at every division evaluate academic fit alongside athletic ability — especially at D3 and academically selective D1 programs.
6. One genuine sentence about the program. Reference something specific — the coach's playing style philosophy, a recent team result, the academic program you're interested in. This proves you've done research and aren't mass-emailing every program in the country.
Tennis-specific details that separate your email from generic ones
Beyond the basics, tennis coach emails should include details that demonstrate you understand how tennis recruiting works.
UTR trend. If your UTR has improved over the past 12–18 months, include the trajectory. "My UTR has improved from 8.2 to 9.8 over the past year" tells a coach you're developing — and that your ceiling may be higher than your current rating suggests.
Competition quality context. A 15–5 record means different things depending on who you played. If your losses are against highly ranked players and your wins include strong opponents, say so. "My five losses this year came against players rated UTR 11+" reframes a record that might otherwise look ordinary.
Upcoming tournament schedule. Include your next 2–3 scheduled tournaments with dates and locations. Coaches may attend or use the results to update their evaluation. This also signals that you're actively competing and your UTR will stay current.
TennisRecruiting.net ranking. If you're ranked on TennisRecruiting.net, include your ranking. Coaches use this platform alongside UTR for domestic recruit evaluation.
Preferred playing style and position flexibility. Are you a baseline grinder, a serve-and-volley player, an all-court athlete? Do you play singles only, or are you an effective doubles partner? Coaches build lineups — knowing where you fit helps them assess roster need.
Email template for tennis recruits
Subject: [Your Name] — [UTR Rating] — Class of [Year] — [State]
Dear Coach [Last Name],
My name is [Full Name], and I'm a [year in school] at [High School] in [City, State]. I'm writing because [Program Name]'s tennis program is a strong fit for me both athletically and academically, and I'd like to introduce myself as a recruit for the Class of [Year].
Athletic profile:
- UTR: [Current rating] (up from [Previous rating] [timeframe] ago)
- Singles record (current season): [W-L]
- Doubles record (current season): [W-L]
- USTA ranking: [Sectional/National ranking if applicable]
- TennisRecruiting.net ranking: [If applicable]
Recent tournament results:
Match video: [Link to full-point match footage]
Upcoming schedule:
- [Tournament name, date, location]
- [Tournament name, date, location]
Academic profile:
- GPA: [Weighted/Unweighted]
- SAT/ACT: [Score, if submitting]
- Intended major: [Major]
I'm interested in [Program Name] because [one specific, genuine reason — coaching philosophy, academic program, team culture, conference competitiveness].
I'd welcome the opportunity to visit campus and learn more about the program. Thank you for your time.
[Full Name]
[Phone number]
[Email]
[UTR profile link]
[TennisRecruiting.net profile link, if applicable]
Template notes: Customize every email. The template provides the structure — the personalization is what makes a coach read past the first paragraph. For guidance on interpreting coach responses (or lack thereof), see our guide on how to read college coach signals.
D1: Coaches cannot initiate contact until September 1 of junior year. Your athlete can email coaches at any time — there's no restriction on recruit-initiated communication. Send introductory emails starting in the spring of sophomore year if your UTR is already in the recruitable range for your target division. Coaches will read and file the email even if they can't respond yet.
D2: Coaches can initiate contact starting June 15 after sophomore year. Start outreach sophomore spring.
D3 and NAIA: No contact restrictions. Email coaches whenever your athlete is ready — junior year is standard, but earlier outreach is fine for mature recruits with established UTRs.
When to send during the year: Tennis coaches are most attentive to recruiting emails during the fall (September–November) when they're actively building the next recruiting class, and during the spring (February–April) when they're finalizing rosters for the following year. Avoid sending initial emails during the college tennis season's peak competition months (March–May) when coaches are focused on their current teams.
Follow-up strategy after your first email
Follow up after 2–3 weeks if no response. Reference your original email, include any updated results or UTR changes, and reiterate your interest. One follow-up is appropriate — multiple follow-ups to a non-responsive coach crosses the line.
Follow up after every significant tournament. A brief email updating a target coach with new results and UTR movement keeps you visible. "Coach, I wanted to share my results from [Tournament] — I went [record] and my UTR moved to [new rating]" is the right format.
Follow up after attending a college camp. If you attend a target program's camp, send a thank-you email within 48 hours. Reference something specific from the camp and reiterate your interest.
Read the signals. A coach who responds with questions, invites you to camp, or asks for more video is genuinely interested. A coach who doesn't respond after two emails and a tournament update is telling you something. Redirect your energy to programs showing engagement. For how to interpret coach behavior, see our guide on reading college coach signals.
The bottom line
Tennis recruiting emails succeed when they lead with data — UTR, results, and match video — and demonstrate genuine interest in the specific program. Coaches can verify your competitive level in seconds through the UTR database, so the email is less about convincing them to evaluate you and more about expressing fit and starting a conversation.
For the general email framework across all sports, see how to email a college coach. For the tennis-specific recruiting timeline that governs when coaches can respond, the tennis recruiting timeline maps the process. For how UTR and the international pipeline shape the recruiting landscape, our tennis recruiting guide covers the full picture. And for the scholarship math that drives every offer conversation, the tennis athletic scholarships guide covers what to expect by division.