FRANCISCO MONTOYA WINS 2025 GARDNER WARD CHASE MEMORIAL AWARD

WENHAM, MA - Francisco Montoya, longtime coach and tennis academy director, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Gardner Ward Chase Memorial Award for lifetime achievement. Montoya, of Wenham, MA, will be celebrated at the New England Tennis Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on June 8 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI.  

A former top junior player in his native Colombia, Montoya first moved to New England in 2002 after working 10 years at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy (now IMG Academy) in Florida. Upon his arrival, he was tasked with implementing the Bollettieri style at the Manchester Athletic Club (MAC), a facility with few serious junior players at the time. 

During his 20 years at the MAC, he would go on to create one of the most successful and prestigious junior tennis training centers and academies in the region, developing thousands of aspiring tennis players, including sending more than 150 to play Division I college tennis. 

In 2023, Montoya founded his own high-performance academy, Montoya Tennis. In just two years of existence and without a permanent home, he has more than 120 active students committed to his methodology. 

“I love being on the court and helping kids achieve their goals, but my favorite thing is being part of this community where every person is helping one another. Whether it’s a 13 year old feeling the impact of a 17 year old heading off to college, or a parent who carpools with another to ensure their student can participate, everyone is helping the growth of these kids in their own way,” Montoya said. 

In 2009, Montoya was selected as a Faculty Coach for USTA National, running Team USA camps and helping develop top talent across the country, including top American players like Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula.

“Every single one of these players has been part of the camps. The recent talent identification programs have been great, and I’m proud to be one more soldier in that effort,” Montoya said. “I’m a big believer in the fact that the USTA has built a Team USA family amongst the American players, where friendships and relationships have been built, and they're all in the fight together to lead tennis worldwide.”   

Montoya has earned a number of honors for his work with junior players, including RSPA (formerly USPTA) New England Tennis Professional of the Year twice and the USTA New England’s William Freedman Award for Outstanding Contribution to Junior Player Development. 

“It’s nice that the work is recognized, but it’s not my work; it’s the work of all the coaches I’ve been with for years, my family, who have sacrificed so much for me, my parents, who made the decision to send me to the U.S., and Nick Bollettieri, who gave me a chance early on,” Montoya said.  

USTA New England 2025 Annual Award nominations and 2026 Hall of Fame nominations are now open. To nominate for an award, click here. To nominate for the Hall of Fame, click here. 

About USTA New England

USTA New England, one of 17 regional sections across the country that comprise the United States Tennis Association (USTA), is a not-for-profit organization committed to promoting and developing the growth of tennis and increasing participation in the sport in New England by offering quality recreational and competitive programs for people of all ages and abilities. For more information, visit https://www.usta.com/newengland.