News
Adult Tennis News
ORANGE COUNTY HOSTS TWO WEEKENDS OF TRI-LEVEL SECTIONALS TO CAP 2025
Back-to-back weekends of Sectionals in Orange County marked the conclusion of the 2025 Adult League season, drawing nearly 1,200 competitors from all 13 areas of the section.
TINA KARWASKY AND TEAM CLINCH GOLD AT 65 & OVER INTERSECTIONALS
For nearly 15 years, Tina Karwasky has captained Southern California’s Women’s 55s and 65s teams to strong finishes at Intersectionals, yet the gold medal always remained just out of reach.
SUZANNE YOUNG NAMED SOCAL’S 2025 ADULT LEAGUE CAPTAIN OF THE YEAR
Chosen through a rigorous nomination process, the honor recognizes one captain whose leadership, sportsmanship, and service to the game best represent USTA League tennis.
FROM 35 TO 80: SOCAL TEAMS DELIVER A NATIONAL SHOWCASE OF EXCELLENCE
SoCal delivered one of its most impressive adult tennis seasons in recent memory, shining on the national stage at both the 2025 Donoff Cup and the USTA National Women’s Intersectionals.
TEAM SOCAL RESULTS FROM THE 2025 ADULT LEAGUE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
As the Adult League season wrapped up at the end of September, the excitement carried straight into the National Championships, which began the second weekend of October.
SOCAL FEATURES AT ITF WORLD TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL CHAMIONSHIPS
Team USA continued its tradition of excellence at the ITF 75, 80, and 85 and over World Team Championships on the red clay courts in Bol, Croatia, capturing three of the six world titles.
Junior Tennis News
USTA SOCAL FEATURE: HOW TENNIS FUELS CAYNA GHALY’S VISION FOR SERVICE
With high school graduation just a month away, Cayna Ghaly is preparing herself to head to Amherst College in the fall, where she will continue both her academic and tennis careers.
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CAMP BRINGS TOGETHER TOP PLAYERS IN CLAREMONT
For the third consecutive year, USTA SoCal hosted the National Player Development Section Camp at The Claremont Club, welcoming some of the region’s top junior players.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S JUNIORS EXCEL AT APRIL L3 TOURNAMENTS
SoCal juniors turned in impressive results across USTA L3 events in Irvine, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Lakewood, San Antonio, and Scottsdale, with great performances across every age division.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S FINEST SHINE AT 2026 EASTER BOWL IN INDIAN WELLS
In the final, unseeded wild card and 2025 Southern California Junior Sectionals champion Rishvanth Krishna from Irvine beat Arcadia’s Peter Jorniak, 6-4, 6-2.
EASTER BOWL TO ONCE AGAIN FEATURE FUTURE OF AMERICAN TENNIS
Two weeks after Taylor Fritz won the biggest title of his career in Indian Wells in 2022, another SoCal star Alex Michelsen was making headlines by winning the prestigious Easter Bowl.
CAMARADERIE AND SPORTSMANSHIP ON FULL DISPLAY AT BREWER TEAM CUP
SoCal’s top juniors were in full force at the Brewer Team Cup, a USTA L1 National tournament featuring elite players across the country in the Boys’ and Girls’ 12s, 14s, 16s, and 18s.
Community Tennis News
USTA SOCAL PROFILE: HOW JASON HARNETT HELPED SHAPE WHEELCHAIR TENNIS
In the summer of 1984, the Olympic Games brought the world to Los Angeles, while an hour south in Orange County, 12-year-old Jason Harnett discovered a different kind of history.
TENNIS TOWNS: COACHELLA VALLEY CELEBRATES A CENTURY OF HERITAGE
Sitting just two hours to the east of Los Angeles, the Coachella Valley is a desert oasis that holds as much tennis history as it does heat. We are proud to name it a USTA SoCal Tennis Town.
A GIANT ON THE COURT, A FRIEND TO THE GAME: REMEMBERING JASON COLLINS
At just 47 years old, Jason Collins passed away on May 12, 2026, after a valiant battle with glioblastoma, a relentless and aggressive form of stage 4 brain cancer.
HOW JUDY DEAN FORGES AN INCLUSIVE PATHWAY FOR SOCAL TENNIS
After moving to Southern California for work, Judy Dean has spent countless hours on court giving back to the sport that shaped her life in so many ways.
SONDRA MICHELSEN HAPPY FOLLOWING SON ALEX’S PRO TOUR EXPLOITS FROM AFAR
As a one-time educator, Sondra Michelsen’s dream of sending her youngest son off to college on a full-ride Division I scholarship was just days away from becoming reality.
USTA BACKS SOCAL ADAPTIVE & WHEELCHAIR GROWTH WITH FUNDING
On Monday, May 4, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced the distribution of $100,000 in grants to 44 wheelchair tennis programs across the nation.
College Tennis News
HISTORIC OJAI TENNIS TOURNAMENT CONCLUDES WITH DRAMATIC FINISHES
It was another historic year at the Ojai Tennis Tournament as it delivered dramatic finishes and standout performances from Southern California players and programs.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED FOR LA MISSION COLLEGE AS IT CLAIMS STATE TITLES IN OJAI
The L.A. Mission College women’s 2026 season was a dream run, finishing 25 straight wins against zero losses and a week at The Ojai the players will not soon forget.
THE OJAI WELCOMES BIG TEN MEN’S CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT THIS WEEK
The 124th edition of the Ojai Tennis Tournament begins this week, bringing a historic first as the tournament welcomes the Big Ten Conference Men’s Tennis Championship.
SOCAL ATHLETES COMPETE IN ITA COLLEGIATE WHEELCHAIR TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Collegiate wheelchair tennis’s national spotlight hits the USTA National Campus this weekend as the 2026 ITA National Collegiate Wheelchair Tennis Championships begin Friday, April 10.
UC SAN DIEGO SECURES THREE-PEAT AT 2026 TENNIS ON CAMPUS SECTIONALS
Fifteen universities competed in San Diego, many fielding multiple teams in pursuit of a spot at the 2026 USTA Tennis On Campus National Championships in Texas.
KATE FAKIH’S AANHPI ROOTS, JUNIOR DOMINANCE, AND COLLEGE ASCENSION
A winner at every stage of her young life, UCLA Bruin Kate Fakih has already built a résumé on the tennis court that many dream of, and she’s done it all by the age of 18.
Pro Tennis News
USTA SOCAL FEATURE: THE MULTIFACETED TENNIS CAREER OF SABASTIANI LEON
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Sabastiani Leon stands as a powerful example of a woman chasing her dreams and succeeding on multiple fronts within the sport.
SOCAL PRO SERIES CELEBRATES HALF A DECADE OF LAUNCHING PRO CAREERS
The SoCal Pro Series, SoCal’s run of consecutive ITF World Tennis Tour events, is celebrating five years of giving elite junior and collegiate athletes a true pathway into pro tennis.
TRACY AUSTIN: THROUGH AND THROUGH A SOCAL TENNIS LEGEND
Nearly half a century later, she can still vividly describe, savor, and appreciate the many Southern California-based moments that helped pave her path to greatness.
THE DESERT HEATS UP: WHO TO WATCH AT THE BNP PARIBAS OPEN IN INDIAN WELLS
With the BNP Paribas Open set to kick off main draw play on Wednesday, the first of back-to-back ATP and WTA 1000 events in the U.S. once again takes center stage in Tennis Paradise.
TENNIS PARADISE RISING: SOCAL’S BNP PARIBAS OPEN QUALIFYING STANDOUTS
Learner Tien, Iva Jovic, and Taylor Fritz all reached the fourth round in Melbourne, demonstrating that the next gen of SoCal players is ready to compete on the sport’s biggest stage.
MORE THAN RECORDS: INSIDE DANA MATHEWSON’S LASTING INFLUENCE
Dana Mathewson is one of the most influential figures in wheelchair tennis history: a former American #1, Grand Slam champion, Paralympian, and global tennis ambassador.
Officiating News
GUARDIAN OF THE COURT: THE UNFILTERED JOURNEY OF MARCIA JONES
In the high pressure world of competition, a hand gesture can be the difference between celebration and confrontation. For Marcia Jones, that pressure is part of everyday life.
DWIGHT KUHLMAN’S MULTIFACETED JOURNEY INTO OFFICIATING
Throughout much of his life, Dwight Kuhlman has been driven by creativity, building a career rooted in production, voice acting, and bringing ideas to life across a wide range of mediums.
FROM BRONX RED CLAY TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COURTS WITH LARRY CALDER
Tennis is defined by precision, sportsmanship, and respect. Officials embody these characteristics, working selflessly in the background to uphold the integrity of the sport.
A LITTLE HANDSHAKE GOES A LONG WAY FOR USTA OFFICIAL MAUREEN REGAN
Maureen Regan has had a front row seat to hundreds of congratulatory gestures and is used to both players then turning to her in the umpire chair and also extending a hand.
AVA SCHUMACHER CELEBRATES 45 YEARS OF OFFICIATING IN SOCAL
For nearly half a century, Ava Schumacher has been a respected USTA tennis official across Southern California. This year marks a significant milestone: her 45th anniversary officiating.
JANE ROBERTS PASSES TEST IN BECOMING A DEPENDABLE USTA OFFICIAL
If you were to list the qualities that define a great USTA Official, you’d probably start with someone who is calm and composed under pressure and knows the rules of tennis from cover to cover.
Women’s History Month Features
TRACY MACNAIR BURRELL: THE UNOFFICIAL TENNIS HISTORIAN OF BAKERSFIELD
Whether it’s the origins of Bakersfield Racquet Club, local player accomplishments, or longstanding exhibitions, the chances are Tracy knows the answer or statistic without hesitation.
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: HOW TENNIS TRANSFORMED MELISSA HOFFMAN’S LIFE
In many ways, tennis saved Melissa Hoffman—physically, emotionally, mentally. What began as a need to exercise after a diabetes diagnosis evolved into something more transformative.
DANIELLE LUGO ON EMPOWERING YOUNG GIRLS THROUGH SPORTS
Danielle Lugo holds a firm conviction that sport sampling is the key to building leadership and confidence in youth, particularly for girls who often face greater discouragement in athletics.
USTA SOCAL FEATURE: THE MULTIFACETED TENNIS CAREER OF SABASTIANI LEON
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Sabastiani Leon stands as a powerful example of a woman chasing her dreams and succeeding on multiple fronts within the sport.
TRACY AUSTIN: THROUGH AND THROUGH A SOCAL TENNIS LEGEND
Nearly half a century later, she can still vividly describe, savor, and appreciate the many Southern California-based moments that helped pave her path to greatness.
MORE THAN RECORDS: INSIDE DANA MATHEWSON’S LASTING INFLUENCE
Dana Mathewson is one of the most influential figures in wheelchair tennis history: a former American #1, Grand Slam champion, Paralympian, and global tennis ambassador.
