Most families enter competitive junior tennis without a map. A career in the U.S. system can cost anywhere from $10,000 to over $100,000 a year and almost no one explains how the pieces fit together.

In this episode, Evan Rhodes sits down with junior coach Ana Solano to break down the real shape of the U.S. development pathway: the seven USTA tournament levels, the ITF Junior circuit, the recruiting metrics that college coaches actually look at and the most expensive mistake families make along the way.

The takeaway: the pathway isn't a ladder. It's a river. Your job is to stay in the boat long enough to find the current that's right for you.