The Top USTA St. Louis Stories from 2023

April

USTA had local, section-level and national representation at the Great Homeschool Convention in St. Charles. The three-day event — geared toward families considering homeschooling their children or already doing so — featured more than 2,200 attendees from across the Midwest.

About 125 million used tennis balls end up in U.S. landfills every year, while the 14,000 balls thrown away hourly in America take nearly 400 years to decompose naturally. USTA St. Louis jumped in on the sustainability effort by purchasing RecycleBalls receptacles and placing them at Dwight Davis for players to recycle used balls.

May

In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month occurring in May, USTA St. Louis featured Jon Tchen and Shaan Patel. Tchen, a USTA St. Louis captain, competes in matches nearly every other day year-round. Patel, a standout USTA junior and John Burroughs School star, made waves for his play and sportsmanship.

USTA St. Louis hosted a trio of Level 4 NTRP and Open section tournaments in 2023 at the 18+, 40+ and 55+ levels. The first of these three events took place at Dwight Davis this month.

June

For the third straight year, Net Rushers held its celebratory Juneteenth tournament for junior and adult competitors. The day’s festivities included games, prizes, ice cream, snow cones, music and a gathering to discuss the significance of Juneteenth.

In conjunction with Pride Month USTA St. Louis highlighted Valerie Green, a transgender athlete who transitioned from male to female in 2018. Green wasn’t convinced she’d ever get to compete in tennis again but found a home participating in USTA St. Louis leagues.

July

The 12th rendition of the Edwardsville Futures USTA Pro Circuit event — the St. Louis area’s lone pro tennis tournament — took place this month at Edwardsville High School. A key change this year was the addition of featured night matches to enable more spectators to view the high-caliber tennis action.

Breakpoint Tennis & Life Skills Academy joined USTA St. Louis Junior Team Tennis this year to further bolster the local JTT scene. Breakpoint had a landmark moment when it hosted its first-ever JTT contest at home facility Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club. USTA St. Louis also featured Laurie Burke, a tournament player who travels the country to compete.

August

August 4-6 was a busy weekend in the area, as the district hosted the USTA Missouri Valley League Section Championships and the St. Louis Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Championships.

“The community of wheelchair tennis is something we don’t see anywhere in tennis,” said Mark Zolman, tournament director. “It’s one big family. We all dine together. We talk together. It’s a very giving community. … To see all those pieces come together, it’s very humbling and very touching. I love these guys. I love everything about it.”

USTA St. Louis junior standout Emerey Gross, who attends St. Joseph’s Academy, was selected to receive the prestigious USTA Bill Talbert Junior Sportsmanship Award. Gross was presented the award at the USTA National Championships in San Diego.

September

This was a huge month for the district, as USTA St. Louis hosted the 100th anniversary of the National Public Parks Tennis Championships at Dwight Davis. The NPPTC weekend featured 28 championship offerings — including options for juniors, adults, collegiate competitors and even a wood racquet tournament — with more than 200 players participating from 20 states.

With National Hispanic Heritage Month beginning in mid-September, USTA St. Louis featured Mexico City-born Ulises Arteaga. Arteaga has a blast competing in tournaments and earned recognition as the USTA St. Louis Adult Player of the Year (3.5 and below). USTA St. Louis added to its staff with the hiring of Sherry Taylor and Lori Divin as well as Karolyn Stanley.

October

The awards season was in full swing with individuals and organizations earning USTA St. Louis awards and USTA Missouri Valley awards. Kimberly Y. Hughes Gill from USTA St. Louis collected major recognition as one of 16 women around the country to be named a Champion of Equality. Hughes Gill got to spend time with her family at the US Open for earning the recognition.

Dwight Davis hosted a pair of fun-filled events on October 7. First, the Saint Louis University men’s and women’s tennis teams collaborated with Net Rushers to hold a Campus Kids Day. Then, Dwight Davis welcomed FestAbility — an event celebrating individuals with disabilities — which featured adaptive sports, speakers, performers and food trucks.

November

With USTA Officials Appreciation Week occurring in the middle of the month, USTA St. Louis highlighted the father-daughter tandem of Tom Weber and Mallory Weber. Tom, a USTA St. Louis official, had the unique experience of working a tennis tourney while Mallory competed on a nearby court.

In his rookie year of officiating for the district, Brett Helbig was selected as the 2023 USTA St. Louis Outstanding Official. Helbig, a Vetta Sports tennis teaching pro, called it a “great honor” to receive the award and to officiate as much as he did this year.

“We’re there to help,” Helbig said. “It’s almost a support system for those players who are developing and starting to compete more, just to support them and back them up. We’re ambassadors for the game. It’s a way of giving back and getting that tournament experience to the next level.”

December

For the seventh time in nine years, Rose Albrecht’s 65+ 6.0 women’s team earned a bid to USTA Nationals. The squad defeated a tough USTA Oklahoma side in a winner-take-all match to punch its ticket to nationals.

At his beloved grandfather’s urging, Michael Laycob took the reins of the Central Institute for the Deaf after-school tennis program. Laycob — alongside WashU men’s tennis coaches and players, CID administration and local volunteers — runs the free program for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.