Wheelchair Tennis Returns to USTA Northern Competition

When Katie Lemke attended a USTA Wheelchair Tennis Workshop in January 2024, one thing immediately stood out to the Manager of Junior Competition at USTA Northern.

USTA Northern didn't have a single data point.

As participation data from sections across the country appeared on the screen, Katie, along with Jon Rydberg and Brendan Fitzpatrick, made it a mission for her competition department  to change it. Soon, USTA Northern was on a path to bringing a competitive wheelchair tennis tournament back to the Northern Section for the first time since 1995.

The mission was completed this August at Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center, with eight junior players taking the court for a milestone weekend that was years in the making.

The road to the tournament began with USTA Northern's Junior All Comers Camps in 2024 and 2025. Following the 2025 camp, coaches believed the players were ready to take the next step into competition, and families enthusiastically embraced the idea of adding a tournament in 2026.

This year's event began with two days of the Junior All Comers Camp. Coaches used Friday afternoon to prepare players for competition, spending additional time on scoring, tiebreaks and the fundamentals of match play.

When tournament play began Saturday, players reviewed match etiquette, proper warm-ups and what to expect in a competitive environment.

For many of the eight participants, it marked the first time they had ever played out a full set.

“It was an amazing weekend, filled with a lot of great matches,” said Lemke. “Our junior players played both singles and doubles matches during the tournament, applying what they learned at the All Comers Camp. This event truly showed how excited and eager these players are to compete!”

The weekend represented an important milestone for the players and another step forward in USTA Northern's commitment to expanding opportunities for wheelchair and adapted tennis throughout the section.

In large part due to the efforts of Katie, Jon and Brendan, USTA Northern now has that data point in the Wheelchair tennis space. And it is one to build on for 2027.