Junior Team Tennis: 2021 Eastern Regional Championships

Eastern Junior Team Tennis (JTT) competition is in full swing! JTT brings together boys and girls to play singles, doubles and mixed doubles against other coed teams. Teams within each of the six USTA Eastern regions are currently facing off against each other for a spot at Eastern's JTT Sectional Championship, to be held June 19-20, 2021 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. Intermediate division teams competed May 1-2, 2021 and Advanced division teams  hit the court May 15-16.

Learn more about JTT in the USTA Eastern Section

Joanna Yu (above, second from the left ) competed with a team based out of CenterCourt Tennis Academy in Chatham, N.J. Under the guidance of her mother, Vivian, (far left) as coach, the team claimed victory in the 14U Intermediate division at the New Jersey Regional JTT Championship. They'll now advance to Sectionals.

"Tennis is usually a 'lonely' sport [without many] teammates, and having others with you to reach the same goal was something that I enjoyed," Joanna said about  playing JTT. "No matter if we lost or won a point, everyone on the team would clap and encourage each other."

Vivian, too, enjoyed the team aspect of JTT and thought it brought out the best in her athletes.

"We have very competitive players individually but more important is that they worked together," she said. "I’m very happy to see our players received tremendous encouragement, inspiration and love from each other."

Vivian noted that their teamwork extended beyond the court. Together, they studied opponents, planned lineups and formulated strategies to succeed.

"This is my first coaching experience, but it hasn't been hard at all," Vivian said. "My most important contribution is that I ordered pizza for them, which they did say is the most delicious pizza they ever had."

Results