By Tennis Now | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Photo credit: Jennifer Pottheiser/USTA
The ATA and USTA announced a shared mission to grow tennis particpation.
The USTA and Americn Tennis Association announced a new initiative reflecting their shared mission to grow participation, retention, and leadership opportunities among diverse communities in tennis.
The foundation of this new initiative include “increasing Black representation in tennis, a mentorship program developing pipelines of diverse professionals in coaching and tennis careers, and inspiring future generations to participate in the sport,” the USTA said in a statement on the partnership.
The oldest African-American sports organization in the United States, the ATA was founded in 1916 by a group of African-American businessmen, college professors, and physicians in response to the exclusion of Black players from competing in US Lawn Tennis Association (precursor to the USTA) organized tennis tournaments alongside White players.
Today, the ATA continues to develop and promote opportunities through tennis in diverse communities.
Through this collaboration, the USTA and ATA will create a new series of events called “The Prelude to ATA Nationals,” which aims to enhance player retention and expand competitive opportunities for juniors throughout the year. The series, which is open to all, launched last weekend in Dallas and is scheduled to continue in Washington, D.C. (May 23-25), Atlanta (June 6-8), and Houston (June 28-29).
Each event will feature an adult social, community play day, tournament play, and culminate in the ATA National Championships. The ATA National Championships is a historic tennis tournament that brings hundreds of players of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities to compete on a national stage. The tournament also features networking events, educational sessions, and the ACE Awards, which recognize individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to ensuring that tennis is accessible to all.
The 2025 ATA National Championships will be held from July 28 to August 3 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
