HighFIVE: Chris Cartwright

Cartwright solidifying his reputation as one of Colorado's top tournament directors

For many, the thought of running one of Colorado’s largest tennis tournaments might be daunting, but for Chris Cartwright, it was a welcome challenge that solidified his reputation as one of the best tournament directors in the state.

“Running the Ned Cooney/Colorado Tennis Championships was great. It was the biggest turnout for any tournament I have ever run, and it was a lot of fun,” says Cartwright. The Open and NTRP division tournament was held over a nine-day period in August at The Meadows Club in Boulder where Cartwright is on staff as a Tennis Professional and Tournament Director. The tournament had 458 participants, players were able to play in as many events as they wanted, and each day included a meal and drink. Cartwright was especially pleased that all matches were on time, despite a few days of rain during the tournament.

The success of the tournament comes as no surprise to those who know Cartwright. Fritz Garger, USTA Colorado Executive Director, says “Chris leads several of our marquee events and does an exceptional job every time! His attention to detail and the care he puts into each event to benefit the players is ever apparent.”

Cartwright is no stranger to the Colorado tennis scene. The Boulder native started playing when his parents introduced him to the sport when he was 4 years old. He played junior tournaments but particularly enjoyed his time on the Fairview High School team.

“My greatest tennis memory is probably when I was in high school my junior year competing against Regis in the state finals. Never have I had a tennis atmosphere like that one. Kids hanging on fences cheering against us. It was a close three setter.” 

After four years of varsity tennis, during which Cartwright finished individually in the top three at state every year, he headed to the University of Kansas where he played two years of club tennis. After graduating from Kansas, Cartwright moved back to Colorado and started teaching at The Meadows almost 10 years ago. 

“It is fun to see where tennis has come at the Club. It is now one of the best places to play tennis in Colorado. I work with an amazing team, including Director Chad Tsuda, who was my high school coach for three years.”

Cartwright’s ties to his high school go beyond working with his former coach, as Cartwright is the Assistant Varsity Coach for the Fairview High School girls’ team. 

“Being a part of the high school team is great because it gives me a chance to continue to work with some of the kids that I coach at the club. It also allows me to give back to my high school and the community.” 

While Cartwright wears many hats in the tennis world, he takes on each role with enthusiasm and full commitment. Jason Colter, USTA Colorado Tournament Operations Director, says “Chris is an excellent administrator and runs events in a professional manner. He has had great success with the with the Level 4, Level 6 and Level 7 junior events that he has run, and he did a fantastic job with the Ned Cooney/Colorado Tennis Championships. In addition, he has a great reputation as a teaching pro and high school coach.”

These days, Cartwright’s on-court time is mostly spent teaching, but that is exactly how he wants it. “I hope to keep teaching and running tournaments out of The Meadows Club and making them the best tournaments in Colorado!”