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On Saturday, August 27, Racquet House and the renowned sports equipment company Yonex, invited 30 New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) players from the Intensive Training Program (ITP) to Rockefeller Center. Along with a day of on-court activities and drills and games off-court, the young tennis players were joined by Polish pro Hubert Hurkacz and Canadian pro Denis Shapovalov to improve their game.  See BizBash’s feature on this event in “US Open 2022: See Inside the Events and Activations That Made a Grand Slam” here. 

“We are so excited to provide this unique opportunity to play tennis with world-class players in the heart of New York City,” says NYJTL President & CEO Udai Tambar. “It is wonderful to see our kids inspired by renowned tennis stars while being equipped with high quality rackets during the special week of the US Open.” 

The iconic Rockefeller Center served as a striking backdrop as the young tennis players sharpened their tennis skills through a variety of dynamic warm-ups, a tennis clinic, point play, and other fun activities with tennis pros ahead of the US Open. Then, each of the participants were gifted with Yonex rackets, apparel, and accessories before playing for special prizes as well. The memorable day was deeply cherished by NYJTL’s young generation of future tennis stars, who went home with smiles after meeting their idols at this legendary site.  

On Friday, August 26 twenty participants from New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL)’s Community Tennis Program (CTP) gathered at the ASICS store in the Meatpacking District where they were joined by Italian professional tennis player Matteo Berrettini. Berrettini competes in the US Open this week, and before the start of the major Grand Slam event he spoke to our program participants on his personal journey in tennis, along with other anecdotes that inspired the group of NYJTL’s young tennis players. 

Among the motivational question and answer session, Berrettini shared accounts of how he practices before a major tournament, what he enjoys eating in preparation, how a crowd’s energy impacts his performance, and the ways he deals with the rigorous ranking system in tennis. Then, the participants were surprised with a gift of a $150 voucher to use on ASICS tennis shoes and apparel, along with a generous donation to NYJTL’s programs.  

“We are so excited to have the opportunity to connect our kids to professional tennis,” says NYJTL President & CEO Udai Tambar. “We are grateful to ASICS and Matteo Berrettini for motivating our children in this critical time ahead of the US Open.” 

This event joins the many ways in which NYJTL provides opportunities for NYC youth to engage with world-class professional tennis players, such as the free NYJTL Bronx Open that concluded the week prior. By meeting professional world-class players, NYJTL youth witness individuals who have displayed incredible perseverance and resilience to achieve their dreams, motivating them to do the same.  

“As the need for mental health support has grown during the pandemic, New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) needed to take a close look at how to adapt to meet the needs of those we serve, and this required incorporating mental health support to recognize the warning signs that students are struggling so we can connect them with services.”

Read more of NYJTL President & CEO Udai Tambar and MSW Program Director at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter Caroline Gelman’s op-ed in the Daily News here.

Congratulations to our tournament champions!

The Kids Clinics Were a Success!

Thank you to everyone who attended the NYJTL Bronx Open youth tennis clinics! NYJTL served hundreds of families throughout the week. Learn more about the fun in the news clips below.

Thank You, Ball Kids!

The NYJTL ball kids were the real stars of the tournament and are all NYJTL program participants. They have been a wonderful help during the tournament, and had the opportunity to meet professional players! Thank you!

Watch Us on the News!

Thank you ABC, NBC, PIX11, and NY1 for covering our tournament! To view the segments and more coverage, click here.

Supporters Make This Work Possible

Thank you to USTA Eastern for its tremendous support and our tournament hero, Larry Leeds!

Visit the tournament’s webpage for more highlights!

Read more of NY1’s story: “The Return of the Bronx Open”

Read more of NBC’s story: “Positively Black: World Class Women’s Tennis Tournament”

Read Tennis Panorama’s Story: “I Remember Victor Kiam”

NYJTL Bronx Open Creates More Opportunities

NEW YORK, (August 11, 2022) – Today, the USTA announced that three more Americans will receive wildcards into the NYJTL Bronx Open, August 15-21, 2022.  The wildcards have been given to Whitney Osuigwe, Ashlyn Krueger, and Sachia Vickery. Most of these young Americans hope to extend their time in New York and participate in as many matches as possible during this crucial time on the tennis tour calendar. 

• Whitney Osuigwe is from Bradenton, Florida and has a career high ranking of 198. 
• Ashlyn Krueger has a career high ranking of 196. Krueger won the Orange Bowl junior tournament as a wildcard in 2020. 
• Sachia Vickery is from Hollywood, Florida and has a career high ranking of 73.  

One more wildcard will be released in the coming days for the main draw singles, adding to the list of this year’s fierce competitors. The most up-to-date information will be found by visiting the NYJTL Bronx Open tournament website.  

Get Involved 

The NYJTL Bronx Open is scheduled August 15-21, 2022 during the very height of tennis interest in New York City. The event continues NYJTL’s long history of hosting professional tennis tournaments and will feature a main draw with 32 singles players plus a 16-team doubles’ event and a 32-player qualifying event. The rankings of the entry players guarantee many of these women will go directly into the US Open main draw directly afterwards. 

NYJTL welcomes the community to watch world-class tennis free of charge. The tournament provides the opportunity for NYC youth to experience professional tennis first-hand in a way that otherwise may not have been accessible to them. The NYJTL Bronx Open will bring many ways for the community to get involved in this special week, from youth tennis clinics to volunteer opportunities that provide a closer look into the professional tournament. 

This year the NYJTL Bronx Open will take place at the Cary Leeds Center. With access to 20 tennis courts and two additional stadium courts with permanent seating for more than 800 spectators, the Victor Kiam Stadium and the Pershing Square Stadium offer a courtside view of the world to the community, creating an unmatched up-close and intimate tennis viewing experience. In addition, the Cary Leeds Center will serve as a practice court facility for the US Open and will host the US Open Junior Qualifying tournament. Matches begin Monday, August 15 at 10 am. 

Are you looking for ways to get involved? Click on the links below to: 

• Register for a souvenir ticket 
• Sign up for a youth tennis clinic