Milica Oliver chosen as 2024 USTA Iowa Outstanding Official

November is Officials Appreciation Month, and Nov. 11-16 serves as Officials Appreciation Week. As a result, it is a great time to celebrate our amazing USTA Iowa officials. This year we are highlighting award-winning official Milica Oliver.

Tennis organizers in Muscatine, Iowa held an L6 tournament this summer and for the first time ever decided to utilize an official to ensure players had a fair, top-notch experience. Oliver signed up for the opportunity, and organizers were impressed by her professionalism, positivity and dedication on and off the court.

“Officiating is a tough job under often hot and humid conditions and doesn’t pay a lot but is so important to elevate the game of tennis,” said Cindy Klebe, tournament director. “It takes passionate officials like Mili to step up and do what is necessary to progress tennis competition in Iowa.”

Oliver was selected to receive the 2024 Outstanding Official Award for USTA Iowa. She’s been an official for the past five years. She is a teaching professional at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex in Iowa City and thought it would be beneficial to get certified so she can help at various tournaments.

“I love helping younger players learn more about the rules of the game and providing them with a better experience playing the game,” Oliver said. “Sometimes, working long hours can be tough, though.”

Oliver is a native of Sombor, Serbia and came to Iowa when she played for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2004-08. She has ideas on how to recruit more officials to the sport of tennis.

“The USTA needs to involve a lot more tennis coaches and young tennis players in the officiating world,” she said. “I was inspired to do it by one of my fellow coaches, and I successfully inspired the next one.”

Added Klebe: “Having Mili officiate courtside was a huge benefit to ensuring fair play and encouraging good sportsmanship on and off the court. Her dedication and positivity throughout the day was a true blessing to making our tournament a huge success.”