USTA Foundation leaders share vision for the future

"For us adults, now think about how you feel when you step onto the tennis court. You’re filled with optimism, purpose, and focus - to compete, have fun, make friends and exercise. To me, the tennis court is the most unbiased place in the world. Not only is tennis a sport for life, but it is a metaphor for how life should be.”

Over the last year, the Rally to Rebuild fundraising campaign raised more than $6.5 million for the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network, a collective of 260 chapters which provide tennis and education programming to under-resourced youth across the United States. As an anchor of youth tennis, the network boasts chapters in 46 of the 50 top U.S. cities. Almost half of NJTL youth are aged 10 or younger, and Wu says that this influence at the grassroots level of the sport is and will remain invaluable, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is where we really shine," Wu said. "Because our entire mission is to bring tennis and education together to change lives, we’re focusing our efforts on those communities that might not otherwise have access to the game or, indeed, to the kinds of academic enrichment that kids need. And they need it even more right now, as American kids are trying to remediate the academic losses they experienced during this year-plus of remote schooling.

"Those local chapters will be the workhorses in our efforts to make diversity, inclusion and equity a sustainable part of the tennis family."

Seventy-four percent of participants in network programming last year identified as non-white, but only 6 percent of those identified as Asian. While the USTA Foundation continues to strive towards the broadest reach possible, Wu, named president of the USTA Foundation board for a three-year term in January, also praised game-changers in professional tennis, including two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka, as role models that young student-athletes in the network can look up to. 

The Rally for the Future campaign, announced last week, is the largest, single fundraising campaign in the nearly-30-year history of the USTA Foundation: a three-year commitment with a goal of $20 million and the hope of fortifying these chapters into the next decade and beyond. The financial assistance that donations provide will allow the organization to continue to expand its influence and reach new communities. 

"There’s a saying that all politics is local. And I would add that all tennis is local, too. It’s great to have high-profile Asian-Americans in the elite player ranks, but we need to be doing everything we can at the local level to diversify the ranks of our local players, coaches and volunteers," Wu continued, "because there’s a kid picking up a racquet for the first time this summer who is going to be playing in the US Open in 15 or 20 years.

"I want to make sure she feels welcome on the court and is encouraged to make tennis a part of her life, no matter what the color of her skin is or how much money her parents make."