Maindraw
Free tool

CHALLENGER practice court booking rules

The practice-court booking rules for the ATP Challenger Tour (CH50–CH175). Adjust the draw size to see how the top-player accommodation cap changes.

Practice slot
60 min
Match warm-up
30 min
Match warm-ups usually 30–45 min for ATP Challengers, prioritised before play.
Peak hours
09:00–11:00
Peak demand follows order-of-play release and the 1.5h match warm-up window before first matches.
Peak partner
Coach / hitter allowed
Doubles in peak
Share court
Top-player cap
Not applied
ITF/Challenger don't pre-accommodate top players.

Booking priority order

  1. 11st: players with a match that day (warm-up, generally 30 minutes).
  2. 22nd: players still in the tournament but with no match that day.
  3. 33rd: top lucky losers (LLs) and alternates (ALTs).
  4. 44th: players no longer in the tournament.
  5. 55th: players not competing that week.

Key rules

  • Standard practice sessions are 1 hour and players should expect to share a court.
  • Match warm-ups (30–45 min) are prioritised in the 1.5h before play, in order of play.
  • Opponents must not warm up on the same court.
  • Qualifying players are prioritised over main-draw players when both are on site.
  • Work through requests chronologically (WhatsApp or in person); callers are not fast-tracked.
  • Second practice sessions are pencilled in off-peak and may be bumped by a player who hasn't yet practised.

Windows & availability

Booking window
Bookings typically open the afternoon before the first official practice day. Match warm-ups are pencilled in as soon as the Order of Play is released.
Court availability
Practice court manager on site 1h before first practice on day 1 (30 min on following days).
Standard hours
9:00am–5:30pm standard practice times during the tournament week.
Ball allocation
One ball allocation per player per day regardless of sessions. New vs used balls depend on level (W50+/CH50+ get towels & electrolytes; lower levels use recycled balls).

Source: ITF circuit control-desk best practice (ITF World Tennis Tour M25/W35/W50, Challengers CH50/CH75). Tournaments may set their own rules, always confirm with the relevant Supervisor / Tour Manager.

Run a real tournament practice desk on Maindraw

These tools are free. Maindraw turns the same rules into a live booking desk: players and coaches request by web or chat, and the scheduler allocates fairly, no spreadsheet, no phone scramble.

Book a demoHow it works

More free tools

Ball, water & consumables planner
Worst-case match balls, cans, water, electrolytes and practice allocations for a day's play.
Practice court demand & desk-staffing estimator
Peak demand vs capacity from draw size and courts, plus the tour staffing requirements.
Match warm-up & practice priority simulator
Rank players by the official 5-tier booking priority, the same logic our scheduler uses.