Recapping the Jayhawk Open 

The 80th annual Jayhawk Open was hosted at Kossover Tennis Center in Topeka, Kan., June 7-9. The event drew around 100 players in men’s singles and doubles and women’s singles brackets. 

“The best part of hosting the event is that it brings players from all over the Midwest and even some international college players,” said Diana Christman, executive director for USTA Kansas. “The Topeka community welcomes the opportunity to have visitors for this event, and especially to have them see our recent growth.”

The men’s singles title was won by Alexander Brown, a University of Illinois player, and former section junior standout. Jackson Atherton and Alexander Richards of Tulsa, Okla., took the doubles title and Vasiliki Karvouni of Lawrence, Kan., won the women’s singles.

The Jayhawk is one of the longest running tournaments in Kansas and has won several USTA awards throughout the years. A small party was hosted to celebrate the tournament’s 80th anniversary.

“In celebration of the 80th Jayhawk, the Topeka Tennis Association Board elected to hold an ‘Old Timers’ Party and invited former Jayhawk competitors and winners,” Christman said. “They came from distances as far away as Arizona and Pennsylvania.”

The celebration drew nearly 30 past players for a night of food, socializing and watching tennis. 

This year, the Jayhawk was part of a four-tournament series that allowed players to gain points throughout each tournament and compete for a grand prize. 

“The MoKanNeb series brought many players to the Jayhawk who might not have come otherwise,” Christman said. “All districts in Missouri Valley are working to increase tournament participation and this series is a creative way to achieve that goal."