United States Tennis Association

United States Tennis Association
SportTennis
AbbreviationUSTA
Founded1881
AffiliationWorld Tennis
LocationPurchase, New York
PresidentBrian Hainline
CEOInterim Co-Ceos: Brian Valey & Andrea Hirsch. Incoming CEO: Craig Tiley
SecretaryGregory Metz
Official website
www.usta.com
United States

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is the national governing body for tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass-roots to the professional levels. The association was created to standardize rules and regulations and to promote and develop the growth of tennis in the United States.

The USTA runs the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center which hosts the US Open every year.

The USTA has leagues in most places for adults skill levels between beginner and pro. The USTA also hosts tournaments across the country every weekend for club players or professionals.

History

The USTA was previously known as the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (USNLTA) and was established in 1881 by a small group of tennis club members in New York City and northeastern clubs, where most lawn tennis was played. In 1920 the word 'National' was dropped from the organization's name, making the abbreviation USLTA. In 1975, the word "Lawn" was officially dropped from the name.

In 1929, the organization rejected applications from two African American contestants for entry into the national junior indoor tennis championships. When this drew objection from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the group's executive secretary Edward B. Moss responded that "we believe that as a practical matter the present method of separate associations for the administration of the affairs and championships of colored and white players should be continued". This separation was maintained by requiring USLTA players to be members of local organizations, many of which had no Black players. In 1950, when the group, facing continued protest, reconsidered and created an exception allowing Althea Gibson to play in that year's national tournament.

Organization

The USTA has 17 geographical sections with more than 700,000 individual members, 7,000 organizational members, and professional staff. The USTA National Office is located in Purchase, NY. The USTA National Campus located in Orlando, FL.

Geographical sections

Court 4 with Arthur Ashe Stadium in the background at The United States Tennis Association's Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

NTRP Ratings

At the USTA National Campus in 2019.

The USTA (along with the USPTA) created the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) or more commonly NTRP ratings to place players into various skill levels. NTRP ratings range from the beginner 1.5 with .5 increments all the way up to 7.0 or world-class players. NTRP ratings are used in the leagues and tournaments to help provide more compatible matches. At the end of each calendar year, the USTA calculates and publishes everyone's year-end rating online. Ratings are calculated using a computer algorithm that adjusts ratings based on how actual outcomes compare to expected outcomes for each match. Expected outcomes are determined based on the difference between the ratings in hundredths of the players on the court. How many matches you've won and if it was a singles or doubles match is not a part of the calculation. New players or anyone with an expired NTRP rating go through the self-rate process to determine their entry point. Specific answers to a series of questions allow the computer to provide a suggested rating for players to start.

Programs

The USTA hosts adult tournaments in most cities with populations over 150,000 people. Leagues for adults with ratings ranging from 2.5 to 5.0 are organized in the Spring and/or Fall. In most areas, the adult seasons consist of singles, doubles, and mixed doubles leagues in the Spring. Fewer cities have Fall leagues for singles and/or alternate league types such as "combo", "mixed combo", or "tri-level".

In most states, there are between one and five tournaments each weekend. Adults with a 3.0 to 4.5 rating can usually play in these tournaments.

Leagues include: 10 and under; Juniors; Adults 18-40; and Adults 40 or older. Anyone over 40 may request placement in the 18-40 league.

In addition, the USTA Foundation supports the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) program, comprising more than 250 nonprofit youth development organizations that offer free or low-cost tennis and education programming to over 150,000 under-resourced youth each year.

Tournaments

Martina Navratilova and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario warming up at the 2019 US Open.

There are 11 active ATP tournaments held in the United States. Nine are held on hard courts, one on clay, and one on grass. USA hosts one Grand Slam, three Masters, two 500, and five 250 level tournaments.

  1. Dallas - 500 (2025)
  2. Delray - 250
  3. Indian Wells Masters
  4. Miami Masters
  5. Houston - 250 Clay
  6. Newport - 250 Grass
  7. Atlanta - 250
  8. Washington - 500
  9. Cincinnati Masters
  10. Winston-Salem - 250
  11. US Open

Presidents

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sits with incoming United States Tennis Association President Katrina Adams as they watched U.S. tennis player Venus Williams play Belgian tennis player Kirsten Flipkens on August 6, 2016.
NamePresidency
Robert Shaw Oliver1881–1882
James Dwight1882–1884
Thomas K. Fraser1885–1886
Richard Sears1887–1888
Joseph Clark1889–1891
Henry Slocum1892–1893
James Dwight1894–1911
Robert Wrenn1912–1915
George Adee1916–1919
Julian Myrick1920–1922
Dwight F. Davis1923
George W. Wightman1924
Jones W. Mersereau1925–1927
Samuel H. Collom1928–1929
Louis Dailey1930
Louis J. Carruthers1931–1932
Henry S. Know1933
Walter Merrill Hall1934–1936
Holcombe Ward1937–1947
Lawrence Baker1948–1950
Russell B. Kingman1951–1952
James H. Bishop1953–1955
Renville H. McMann1956–1957
Victor Denny1958–1959
George Barnes1960–1961
Edward A. Turville1962–1963
James B. Dickey1964
Martin Tressel1965–1966
Robert J. Kelleher1967–1968
Alastair Martin1969–1970
Robert B. Colwell1971–1972
Walter E. Elcock1973–1974
Stan Malless1975–1976
William E. Hester1977–1978
Joseph E. Carrico1979–1980
Marvin P. Richmond1981–1982
Hunter L. Delatour, Jr.1983–1984
J. Randolph Gregson1985–1986
Gordon D. Jorgensen1987–1988
David R. Markin1989–1990
Robert A. Cookson1991–1992
J. Howard Frazer1993–1994
Lester M. Snyder, Jr.1995–1996
Harry Marmion1997–1998
Judy Levering *1999–2000
Mervin Heller, Jr.2001–2002
Alan Schwartz2003–2004
Franklin Johnson2005–2006
Jane Brown Grimes2007–2008
Lucy S. Garvin2009–2010
Jon Vegosen2011–2012
David Haggerty2013–2014
Katrina Adams **2015–2018
Patrick Galbraith2019–2020
Michael McNulty2021–present

*First female to be elected USTA president.
**First African-American and first former professional tennis player to be elected USTA president.

Awards

At the Louis Armstrong Stadium in 2009.

The award and the foundation were the dream of the late Maureen Connolly Brinker. This award is presented each year to the girl player considered by the committee to have had the most outstanding full-season performance. She must be exceptional in ability, sportsmanship and competitive spirit. The silver bowl, which is kept at the Almaden Valley Athletic Club, is inscribed with the name of each year's winner. The recipient of the award receives a small engraved silver tray.

Discontinued awards

  • USTA Girls' Sportsmanship Trophy Award - The USTA Girls' Sportsmanship Trophy Award was presented annually at the close of the International Girls' 18 Grass Court Championships to the player in the championship who, in the opinion of the committee of judges, most nearly approaches the ideal in sportsmanship, appearance, court manners and tactics. The trophy was first presented in 1936 by the late Mrs. Harrison Smith and was henceforth awarded annually. The trophy was a sterling silver plate. The name of the recipient of the award was engraved on the trophy every year and a small silver plate similar to the trophy in design and engraving was given to the recipient. The award was retired in 2004 and donated to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
  • Harry Fogleman Memorial Trophy - The Harry Fogleman Memorial Trophy was awarded each year at the USTA Boys' 12 National Championships to the boy who, in the opinion of the Tournament Committee, exemplified outstanding sportsmanship, conduct, character and tennis ability. The award, a large pewter loving cup, was donated to the USTA by the 1973 Boys' 12 National Championships Committee at the Knoxville Racquet Club, Knoxville, TN, in memory of Harry Fogleman. Mr. Fogleman was not only an outstanding tennis coach but served on various committees of the USTA devoted to Junior development. For several years he was Tournament Director of the 12 and 14 National Championships in Chattanooga, TN. Before his sudden death in December 1972, he was honored as the 1972 recipient of the Tennis Educational Foundation Merit Award given annually by the USTA. The trophy was displayed by the club which hosted the Boys' 12 National Championships. The winner of the award was given a suitably inscribed pewter replica as a memento of his achievement. It was retired in 1989.
  • Colonel James H. Bishop Award - The Colonel James H. Bishop Award was presented annually at a place and time determined by the USTA Junior Davis Cup Committee Chairman to that U.S. Junior Davis Cup squad member who, in the opinion of the chairman and the team captains, best exemplified the objectives of the Junior Davis Cup Program in regard to highest standards of character, conduct, sportsmanship, appearance, amateurism on and off the tennis court, and tennis accomplishment. The award, a sterling silver tray, was donated by Dorothy W. and Thomas E. Price to the USTA in memory of Colonel James H. Bishop—the founder of the Junior Davis Cup Program in 1937 (the forerunner of the Junior Wightman Cup Program in 1938) and a well-known and highly regarded friend of youth, educator, and tennis leader until his untimely death in 1961. The name of the recipient of the award was engraved on the tray and a suitably inscribed small silver replica was given to the recipient as a memento of the award. The last award in 1987 was to Patrick McEnroe.
  • William M. Johnston Award - The William M. Johnston Trophy was awarded to that male player who, by character, sportsmanship, manners, spirit of cooperation and contribution to the growth of the game, ranks first in the opinion of the selection committee. Another basis for the award was the help a player renders not only to players in the recipient's own class but also to a lesser class and to junior players as well. The award was the result of a suggestion by the late “Little Bill” Johnston, who gave one of his championship cups to the International Lawn Tennis Club of the United States to be used for this purpose. The name of the winner of the award was engraved on the trophy, and a small silver tray suitably inscribed was given to the recipient as a memento of the award. It was awarded from 1947 through 2006.
  • Sarah Palfrey Danzig Award - The Sarah Palfrey Danzig Trophy was awarded to that female player who, by character, sportsmanship, manners, spirit of cooperation and contribution to the growth of the game, ranks first in the opinion of the selection committee. Another basis of the award was the help a player renders not only to players of her own class but also to players of a lesser class and to junior players. The award was the result of a suggestion by the late Mrs. Danzig that it was fitting and proper that there should be an award for women comparable to and with the same criteria as the William M. Johnston Award for men. To that end, she gave one of her national championship cups to the International Lawn Tennis Club of the United States to be used for this purpose. The name of the winner was engraved on the trophy, and a silver tray suitably inscribed was given to the recipient as a memento of the award. Awarded from 1986 through 2006.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "About The Organization". Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  2. ↑ "USTA appoints Craig Tiley as Chief Executive Officer". USTA. February 24, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  3. ↑ Kimball, Warren. "USTA History". USTA. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  4. ↑ Warren Kimball. "USTA name changes: All for good grammar". USTA. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  5. ↑ "USTA History". usta.com. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Tennis Group Head Explains Color Line". Fort Worth Record-Telegram. December 28, 1929. p. 10 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Althea Gibson Gets Backing For Entering USLTA Tourney". Alabama Tribune. July 28, 1950. p. 6 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Sportsmanship in Tennis". Atlanta Daily World. October 15, 1950. p. 4 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "USTA Awards History". USTA.