Board Spotlight: Lydia Varon

The USTA Eastern Board of Directors is composed of individuals from all different backgrounds who are singularly committed to making tennis as accessible as possible to anybody who wants to reap the benefits of the world’s healthiest sport. With this recurring feature, we aim to spotlight those who make up our governing body: Why do they love this game so much—and why are they so passionate about getting even more people to love it?

In this installment, we speak to Lydia Varon, a passionate longtime USTA League captain and strategic HR business partner at L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, N.Y. who has served as the regional council director for the section’s Western Region since 2025. Varon tells us about returning to the game after multiple years away, taking on volunteer roles and competing in a four-hour tennis match that started to feel like a battle under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

When did you first pick up a racquet? What made you want to keep playing?

VARON: I started playing at age five in an afterschool program. I took a break during college, but [after graduating] I moved home and was looking for a way to spend my time besides just working. I ended up going back to the place where I grew up playing and signed up for their adult programming with my childhood coaching staff!

Wow. That has all the drama of a night match at the US Open.

VARON: It’s still my favorite tennis memory because it captured everything I love about this sport. It’s about resilience, partnership, competition and those unexpected moments when you push past your own expectations and find yourself in the middle of something unforgettable under the lights.

You eventually went on to captain USTA League teams and serve as a volunteer for the organization. What inspired you to apply for a position on the board two years ago?

VARON: My inspiration came from what I felt was missing in my own experiences. I was looking for more programming, more volunteers, more community engagement. After a decade of volunteering myself, doing leagues, social play, interclub and general programming at local clubs, I felt I was well prepared to bring a lot to the Western N.Y. region through a leadership capacity. My past partnerships with USTA staff also showed me firsthand the value that the USTA brings to the community, and I wanted to help others experience that.

VARON: Being on the board has brought me a great sense of purpose in my community as well as a new path to give back. It has given me both the opportunity and increased platform to help grow the sport that has had such an important impact on my own life. I don't think there is a better feeling than helping give others the opportunity to fall in love with tennis, the same way that I did.