Wilbur Jones and Maria Chartier represent USA at World Team Championships

The latter half of 2026 has been quite exciting for USTA Heart of America standout players Wilbur Jones and Maria Chartier.

Both were selected to represent Team USA in the International Tennis Federation World Team Championships, a feat that is well-deserved by both players.

Jones, who is from Shawnee, Kan., was part of the Men’s 85 & Over team playing for the Lorne Main Cup in Crete, Greece, from Oct. 18-23. His team took home second place overall. Chartier, who is from Overland Park, Kan., is part of the Women’s 30 team, which competes in Tokyo, Japan, on Nov. 15-20.

To say their excitement was palpable is an understatement. Hear from both Team USA players below.

Wilbur Jones

Jones, a USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Famer, is no stranger to competing in the World Team Championships. He has represented the United States four times: twice in Croatia — winning a gold medal and a bronze — once in Spain and this year in Greece, where his team won silver.

While certainly impressive, for Jones, representing his country remains an honor he takes seriously.

“It’s a privilege to be chosen to represent the United States at the World Cups,” he said. “It would mean that you are one of four players selected from your age group to represent the U.S. out of the whole United States.”

Jones was selected to participate in this year’s Men’s 85 & Over tournament due to his strong showings in doubles. He shared that in order to get selected for the team, the committee looks at player performance over the past three years and grades it on a points-based system.

“During the year, if you win a Level 1 tournament, you’d get 1,000 points,” he said. “If you win a Level 2 tournament, you’d get 500 points.”

Jones partnered with Jerald Hayes of Carmel, Ind., with whom he has played with the past three years. The pair hadn’t lost a single match until just last year.

“A few days after we lost, he emailed me and asked me if I knew how many matches we had won in a row before losing that one,” Jones said. “He said we had won 34 matches in a row before losing that last match. I told him I had no idea.

Maria Chartier

Former University of Kansas standout and current Hallbrook Country Club tennis pro Maria Chartier was selected to play in the World Team Cup for the Women’s 30s Marie Pinterova Cup.

“It feels like a great honor and a responsibility that I take seriously,” she said. “They notified us through email, and I was just so excited to read that they had selected me.

“I called my parents immediately and texted all of my friends. I was very emotional. I love competing in team events, and being able to represent the U.S. is the pinnacle of that.”

Her gratitude drove her to get into the best shape of her career ahead of the tournament.

“Since I was notified, I contacted my father — he was my strength and conditioning coach growing up — and asked him to help me get in shape for this tournament,” she said. “My friends, who also played in college, are helping me train on the tennis side. I want to make sure that I represent the U.S. in the best way.”

Chartier also captains a 5.0 USTA League, which she mentioned has had “great matches” to help her further prepare.

Playing alongside other American players is inspirational to Chartier. It reminds her of her experience as part of the Jayhawks tennis team.

“I loved playing for the University of Kansas and how we fought for each other,” she said. “It makes it extra special to win as a unit. When you feel like things aren’t going your way, you remember there are others who are counting on you and there are others who are cheering you on. It just gives you that extra push that you need.”