The top USTA St. Louis stories from 2024

April

For the first time in its history, St Clair Tennis ran a USTA Missouri Valley section-level tournament when it held an adult Level 4 event.

A USTA mini tennis court was one of the most popular attractions at a St. Charles event geared toward families homeschooling their children.

May

National Tennis Month occurred in May, and USTA St. Louis held numerous fun-filled events to celebrate.

Washington University in St. Louis served as the host school for the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships, which took place in late May at Dwight Davis Tennis Center.

June

USTA St. Louis had another successful year of Junior Team Tennis action, which included a strong summer campaign and hosting a JTT Qualifier this month.

Several squads punched their tickets to the USTA Missouri Valley Section Championships by claiming district titles in June.

July

The Jensen-Schmidt Tennis Academy hosted inclusive tennis programming this month at Creve Coeur Racquet Club. The tennis instruction was geared toward children and adults with Down syndrome as well as making the sport accessible for players with special needs.

“The JSTA is removing barriers to athletes that may never have had the opportunities to share in this process and learning,” said Vince Schmidt, JSTA organizer. “For that, I am humbled and grateful to bring tennis to my athletes.”

For the third straight year, USTA St. Louis hosted the Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Championships at Chesterfield Athletic Club. The Level 2 tournament drew more than 30 players from 17 different states across the country.

August

St. Louis had strong connections to the US Open this year, including STL native Chelsey Farris being selected to design the theme art for the 2024 tournament. She was the first American woman to create the Open’s official art in 15 years.

Additionally, junior competitor Skye Madatali was the USTA Missouri Valley SuperSport winner. As a result of her standout sportsmanship, Madatali earned a trip for two to the US Open and did the coin toss before a match featuring Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton.

The Edwardsville Futures USTA Pro Circuit concluded in early August. In addition to the men’s professional tournament, the week featured events for individuals of all backgrounds and abilities to get involved in the action.

September

National Hispanic Heritage Month begins in September, and USTA St. Louis highlighted tennis player Patricia Gonzalez. Originally from Barcelona, Gonzalez competed at Lindenwood University.

October

New adult leagues began revving up in early October, including the wildly popular Mix ‘n’ Chill tacking on multiple sessions.

The fall was also awards season, as several USTA St. Louis award recipients went on to also win USTA Missouri Valley awards. Local award winners were celebrated at an awards celebration dinner at LiUNA Event Center.

November

Dale Trinka, 94, a Korean War veteran, continues to play and organize tennis at St Clair Tennis.

“I played golf, basketball, tennis and baseball,” Trinka said. “All those days are gone, but tennis was the one thing I could continue to play as I got older. Because of my mobility, tennis is a great way for me to stay sharp and keep competing.”

November is Officials Appreciation Month, and USTA St. Louis featured Outstanding Official award recipient Liz Lahm as well as a trio of new officials to the district in this Q&A article.

December

More than 65 adults flocked to Vetta Sports – Concord to partake in the Turkey Trot-Off tournament after Thanksgiving on Dec. 1. Players from USTA St. Louis, USTA Missouri as well as the USTA Midwest section competed for turkey trophies dubbed as Golden Gobblers.

USTA St. Louis Executive Director Megan Kovacs put a bow on some of the highlights of 2024—including growth in Junior Team Tennis, adult leagues and community outreach—in this happy holidays letter.

Check out all the USTA St. Louis stories from 2024 by clicking this link.