Susan Klumpner to receive "Champion of Equality" award at 2024 US Open

Executive Director of The ACE Project, Susan Klumpner, will be honored as a "Champion of Equality" at the 2024 US Open for her mission to serve up positive youth development for Black and Brown communities in Chicago, Ill., Detroit, Mich. and Baltimore, Md.

At The ACE Project, they aspire to see, "every child, regardless of background, having equitable access to transformative programs [tennis, education and mentorship] that advance socioemotional growth and serve as a catalyst for generational change."

The 2024 Champions of Equality will be named at the US Open on Thursday, Sept. 5, coinciding with the women's semi-final matches.

Last year's award ceremony was launched alongside the celebration of the US Open's 50th Anniversary of Equal Prize Money. The event recognized Billie Jean King with a Lifetime Achievement award and Venus Williams with the first US Open Billie Jean King Champion of Equality award. The USTA recently announced that the 2024 US Open will offer the largest purse in tennis history, awarding $75 million in total player compensation.

Susan Klumpner co-founded The ACE Project in 2013 and spun around an acronym that used to mean ‘adverse childhood experiences’ as studied by Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris. Instead, for more than a decade, Klumpner has reframed ‘ACE’ to mean ‘active children excel’ to acknowledge the power of positive youth development. 

The ACE Project started as a tennis camp for students attending Washington Elementary School in Riverdale, Ill. The kids loved it, and so the camp expanded into a program model to include homework assistance, mentorship, academic enrichment and social-emotional skill building. 

The organization trains coaches and mentors from schools, including office staff, lunch monitors and crossing guards, as well as parents and other community residents. The ACE Project strengthens relationships between students, their families and their communities to outmatch cycles that limit opportunity and success. 

USTA Midwest is extremely proud of Susan Klumpner for her achievements as she pushes for equality in tennis and society. 

Last year Joy Albi, the president of the USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation, received the 2023 Champion of Equality award among other trailblazers and leaders who represent the USTA's 17 sections across the country.