Gulfport tennis player Ryland Buford finished 776th in May in the junior Boys’ 16 category of the United States Tennis Association.
They started May ranked 865th.
By the end of the month they’d earned 750 across singles and doubles tournaments.
Players earn points per round in tournaments, winning higher points the further into a tournament they advance.
Jarett Cascino of New York Tennis Magazine says tennis is one of the most competitive youth sports.
“There is always someone better than you on any given day, even if you are the number one player in the world!” he said.
Rankings are released weekly.
Junior Boys’ 16 rankings in May
| Name | Starting Rank | Ending Rank | Total Points at end of May |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryland Buford | 865 | 776 | 750 |
| Quinn Jordan | 4,282 | 2,970 | 183 |
| Caiden Karetas | 4,886 | 4,715 | 81 |
| Benjamin Vance | 5,112 | 5,210 | 65 |
| Cooper Payne | 6,650 | 5,985 | 48 |
| Tucker Payne | 7,578 | 7,013 | 32 |
| Gannon Holifield | N/A | 9,583 | 12 |
