Midwest Team Places Second in USTA Adaptive National Championships

Earlier in October, Midwest’s own Jaime Oppenlander (Grand Haven, Mich.) and Nick Brozek (Tinley Park, Ill.) placed second at the USTA Adaptive National Championships held at the USTA National Campus. The tournament took place October 12-13, 2019.

20 teams from 11 sections made the trip to Orlando to compete for the title. Teams participated in unified doubles, where one player has a developmental or intellectual disability, while the other player does not have a disability. Oppenlander and Brozek secured their spot in the National Championships by progressing from the Midwest section’s playoffs. Joined by another Midwest team, Oppenlander and Brozek were supported by the USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation (MTEF) in their travel, allowing them to experience a tournament at the national level.

Oppenlander currently serves on the USTA/Midwest Adaptive Committee, as well as on the National Adaptive Committee and says the experience was one for the books.

“It was an honor to be partners with Nick,” said Oppenlander. “His passion for tennis and ability to see good/positivity in all was evident on court.”

This is the second year the duo has teamed up, and the progress was apparent, despite the more challenging competition.

“Playing with Jaime at the National Championships made me feel like I was able to showcase my true level of play,” said Brozek. “During the tournament, with my partner’s help, I was able to work on being more aggressive at the net and use smarter shots.”

Both Brozek and Oppenlander are proud of their finish and how they performed. Looking forward, they hope to continue reaching towards the top.

“He [Brozek] is motivated to keep reaching higher and certainly values what the USTA/Midwest Section and the MTEF did for him,” said Don Brozek, Nick’s father. “We thank you beyond words.”