NorCal Father-Daughter Duo Win at USTA National Grass Court Championships

Father-daughter duo Lars and Addison Ahlström went into the Level 1 USTA National Senior Father-Daughter Grass Court Championships unseeded and looking to have fun together before Addison headed off to college this fall.

In only the second tournament the Ahlströms have competed in together, they took the competition by storm, beating two tournament favorites to earn the title and a coveted USTA gold ball this year.

“This was a wonderful experience to play, compete, and win with your daughter as she is ready to go off to college,” Lars said.

The last time Lars and Addison had competed together was when she was 12 at a local NorCal tournament in Santa Cruz. But they decided that competing at the iconic Longwood Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, MA, which has a long tennis history hosting many US professional championships, and the opportunity to play on grass was too good to pass up.

And though they were the ultimate winners, it wasn’t an easy road to get to the end. Uniquely, they played on three different surfaces – indoor, clay, and grass – due to bad weather.

“Staying positive amid changing circumstances was my favorite part about competing with my dad,” Addison said. “Each new surface presented different conditions that we were forced to adjust to. But finding ways to adapt our game and strategizing together was a super fun and rewarding experience with my dad that I will never forget.” 

They played their first two rounds on hard court, and took out the number one seed and four-time defending champs in a tight 10-7 tie-breaker to win the second round.

Their next match was on clay, as the grass was still too wet, and they went head-to-head against the number three seed with another satisfying victory.

And for the championship match they finally got to compete on grass.

“It was fun but challenging to play on grass,” Lars said. “The bounces were low and all over the place.”

After losing the first set, Lars and Addison turned it around and pulled out a commanding victory, winning with 6-1 and 6-3 sets.

“We were both so happy to win,” Lars said. “The awards ceremony was thrilling as they handed out the gold and silver balls.”

So, what was the secret to their success? Billy Joel. The night before tournament play started, Billy Joel was having a concert at Fenway Park.

“We are both big fans and couldn’t miss such a great opportunity. It was an incredible concert,” Lars added. “And, I think the experience and fun we had from the concert actually kept us loose for our matches.”

And though the Ahlströms entered the tournament as dark horses, the tennis roots run deep in their family. Lars grew up in Sweden and started playing tennis when he was 10 and has been playing ever since. He also tried out for Coach Dick Gould’s Stanford tennis team in college, going up against the likes of tennis greats John McEnroe and Tim Mayotte. 

Lars is still active in tennis today with USTA Adult Leagues, playing in the Adult 18 & Over 4.5 league in the spring, and he just finished his Adult 40 & Over 4.5 season, where he and his team won the league and will be headed to Sectionals soon.

His wife Michelle also played college tennis at the University of Virginia, and she has played on USTA league teams as an adult, captaining a 5.0 team from Alpine Hills that won Nationals in 2005.

Both Lars and Michelle have passed on the love of the sport to their daughters. Their youngest daughter plays tennis as well, and Addison has been competing in USTA NorCal tournaments since she was eight. She will be attending Brown University this fall and playing for the women’s tennis team.

“My parents have always taught me the importance of balance. As important as tennis has always been to me and my family, my parents have always encouraged me to pursue my other passions and practice the difficult art of balancing responsibilities,” Addison added. “It has taught me a lot along the way, and over the past few years I have discovered so much about what makes my training productive and overall what makes me happy.”

And with that approach in mind, Addison says she is excited to continue her tennis journey at such an amazing school and am eager to improve and compete at the collegiate level. 

And while life might get busy with Addison playing college tennis, the pair hope to compete in more father-daughter tournaments in the future and definitely plan on defending their title next summer.

“Ultimately, it’s just a great sport to share as a family,” Lars added.