Before writing queries, consult references/api-reference.md for endpoints, ID conventions, and data shapes.
Quick Start
Prefer the CLI — it avoids Python import path issues:
sports-skills tennis get_scoreboard --tour=atp
sports-skills tennis get_rankings --tour=wta
sports-skills tennis get_calendar --tour=atp --year=2026
sports-skills tennis get_wta_entry_list --tournament_id=901 --year=2025
sports-skills tennis get_wta_player_results --player_id=320760 --year=2025 --limit=10
CRITICAL: Before Any Query
CRITICAL: Before calling any data endpoint, verify:
- The
tourparameter is specified (atporwta) — there is no default. - Year is derived from the system prompt's
currentDate— never hardcoded.
The tour Parameter
Most ESPN-backed commands require --tour=atp or --tour=wta:
- ATP: Men's professional tennis tour
- WTA: Women's professional tennis tour
If the user doesn't specify, ask which tour or show both by calling the command twice.
Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
get_scoreboard |
Live/recent tournament scores for a tour |
get_rankings |
ATP or WTA player rankings |
get_calendar |
Full season tournament calendar |
get_player_info |
Individual tennis player profile |
get_news |
Tennis news articles |
get_wta_entry_list |
WTA entry list (singles players and doubles teams) for one tournament edition — WTA API |
get_wta_player_results |
A WTA player's most recent match results (bounded window), newest first — WTA API |
See references/api-reference.md for full parameter lists and return shapes.
WTA API Commands Use Native WTA IDs
get_wta_entry_list and get_wta_player_results read the public WTA API (api.wtatennis.com), not ESPN:
tournament_idandplayer_idare the WTA's own numeric ids, positive decimals with no leading zeros (e.g. tournament901, player320760). ESPN ids fromget_rankings/get_player_info/get_scoreboarddo not work here, and there is no id mapping between the two.get_wta_player_resultsreturns a bounded window of the most recent results (at mostlimit, optionally within oneyear), not a career history. There is no total count:has_moreonly says further matches exist, andhistory_completeis alwaysfalse. Never presentcountas a career or season total.- Results are dated by tournament start date (
tournament_start_date), not the day each match was played. Never present it as a match date. - Matches within one tournament keep the provider's order, which is not guaranteed to be playing order. Don't claim exact within-tournament chronology.
winner_codeis the provider's raw side code; no win/loss is derived from it. Don't state who won from it.- Both commands are WTA-published snapshots (
source.fetched_at, cached up to 10 minutes). Don't call them complete or live. UnderSPORTS_SKILLS_REPLAY=replay/fill,source.fetched_atisnullandsource.served_atis only local serving time — not data freshness.
Workflows
Live Tournament Check
get_scoreboard --tour=<atp|wta>- Present current matches by round.
- For player info, use
get_player_info --player_id=<id>.
Rankings Lookup
get_rankings --tour=<atp|wta> --limit=20- Present rankings with points and trend.
Season Calendar
get_calendar --tour=<atp|wta> --year=<year>- Filter for specific tournament.
WTA Entry List
get_wta_entry_list --tournament_id=<wta_id> --year=<year>- Present each event (
format: singles/doubles) with seeds and entry types. It is an entry list, not a draw.
WTA Player Form
get_wta_player_results --player_id=<wta_id> --year=<year> --limit=20- Group by tournament; say these are the most recent
countmatches, and whenhas_moreis true that earlier matches exist but were not fetched.
Examples
Example 1: Live matches User says: "What ATP matches are happening right now?" Actions:
- Call
get_scoreboard(tour="atp")Result: Current tournament matches organized by round with scores and status
Example 2: Women's rankings User says: "Show me the WTA rankings" Actions:
- Call
get_rankings(tour="wta", limit=20)Result: Top 20 WTA players with rank, name, points, and trend
Example 3: Upcoming Grand Slam date User says: "When is the French Open this year?" Actions:
- Derive year from
currentDate - Call
get_calendar(tour="atp", year=<derived_year>) - Search results for "Roland Garros" (the French Open's official name) Result: French Open dates, location (Paris), and surface (clay)
Commands that DO NOT exist — never call these
get_matches— does not exist. Useget_scoreboardfor current match scores.get_draw— does not exist. Tournament draw data is not available via this API.get_head_to_head— does not exist. Head-to-head records are not available via this API.get_standings— does not exist. Tennis usesget_rankings, not standings.get_match_stats— does not exist. ESPN publishes no per-match statistics for tennis (aces, double faults, break points): scoreboardstatisticslists are empty and the per-match stats endpoint returns "No competitor stats found", even for Grand Slam finals. Only set scores are available.
If a command is not listed in the Commands table above, it does not exist.
Troubleshooting
Error: get_scoreboard returns no matches
Cause: Tennis tournaments run specific weeks; no tournament may be scheduled this week
Solution: Call get_calendar(tour=...) to find when the next event is scheduled
Error: Rankings are empty Cause: Rankings update weekly on Mondays; there may be a brief update window Solution: The command auto-retries previous weeks. If still empty, retry in a few minutes
Error: Player profile fails
Cause: Player ID is incorrect
Solution: Use get_rankings to find player IDs from the current rankings list, or verify via ESPN tennis URLs
Error: get_wta_entry_list / get_wta_player_results rejects the id or returns HTTP 404
Cause: An ESPN id (or a non-numeric value) was passed; these commands take native WTA numeric ids only
Solution: Use the WTA's own tournament/player id. Don't substitute ESPN ids
Error: get_wta_player_results --year=... fails with "outside year ... inconclusive"
Cause: The WTA API returned matches from other years, so it likely ignored the year filter
Solution: Report that the season's results could not be confirmed. Don't retry without year and present those matches as that season
Error: get_wta_entry_list succeeds with count: 0
Cause: The WTA has not published an entry list for that tournament and year, or the id/year pair does not exist
Solution: Read the note field and tell the user no entry list is available — don't report an empty field of players
Error: Scores seem delayed or don't update live
Cause: Scores update after each set/match is completed, not point-by-point
Solution: This is expected behavior. Refresh get_scoreboard periodically for updated set scores