2026 USTA Southern Award Winners

USTA Southern announced today the recipients of its 2026 awards, given for outstanding achievements in tennis both on and off the court.

Candidates were nominated by USTA staff and volunteers in the section’s nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Volunteer members of the USTA Southern Awards Committee and other committees with expertise in the award category then selected the winners from among the nominees. 

North Carolina led all states with eight awards, while Georgia had six winners and Alabama and Tennessee had four each. Raleigh, N.C., had three recipients, while Cornelius, N.C., and Baton Rouge, La., had two.

Recipients are scheduled to receive their awards at the J. Randolph Gregson Awards Ceremony & Luncheon during the USTA Southern Annual Meeting on Jan. 23, 2027, in Atlanta.

For a complete list of all USTA Southern award recipients since 1985, click here.

Adaptive Tennis Award: Jessie Taliaferro; Raleigh, N.C.

Adult Tournament of the Year: Steve Carter Memorial Tennis Tournament; Baton Rouge, La.

Community Tennis Association of the Year: Downeast Community Tennis Association; Greenville, N.C.

Dewitt Redgrave III Junior Achievement Award

    Yannik Alvarez; Cumming, Ga.

    Ellery Mendell; Watkinsville, Ga.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion: Tennis Memphis; Memphis, Tenn.

Educational Merit Award: Jana Ritter; Cornelius, N.C.

Gerrie Rothwell League: Elizabeth Walker; Gallatin, Tenn.

Jim Russell Junior Tournament of the Year: Girls 16s USTA National Clay Court Championships; Huntsville, Ala.

Junior Team Tennis Coordinator of the Year: Brett Halsey; Birmingham, Ala.

Local League Coordinator of the Year: Lesa Cleaveland; LaGrange, Ga.

Mac MacDougal Tennis Official of the Year: Donna Mille; Oakland, Tenn.

Marc Kaplan Media Excellence Award: Marc Morriston; Raleigh, N.C.

Marilyn Sherman Spirit Award: Kathy Kim; Hickory, N.C.

Member Organization of the Year: Athletes Youth Success Institute; Atlanta

Mickey McNulty Family of the Year: The Choo Family; Auburn, Ala.

NJTL Chapter of the Year: Third Serve; Charleston, S.C.

No-Cut Starfish Coach Award: Chad Young; Bowling Green, Ky.

Outstanding Parks & Recreation Department: Cornelius Parks and Recreation; Cornelius, N.C.

Ozaki-Hastings Junior Sportsmanship Award: Tabb Tuck; Mountain Brook, Ala.

Slew Hester Adult Player of the Year

    Jason Noonan; Baton Rouge, La.

    Julia Dimitrov; Alpharetta, Ga.

Tennis Professional of the Year: Rafael Toro; Wilmington, N.C.

Special Tennis Event of the Year: Tennis 4 Turkeys Mixed Doubles Charity Tennis Tournament; Sumter, S.C.

Team Tennis Event of the Year: Raleigh Pro League; Raleigh, N.C.

Tennis on Campus Club of the Year: University of Georgia; Athens, Ga.

Tennis on Campus Leader of the Year: Chloe Batterton; University of Louisiana Monroe; Monroe, La.

Wheelchair Tennis Excellence Award: Lucy Heald; Lookout Mountain, Tenn.