Greetings!

January may have started quietly, but it didn’t stay that way for long. From the Australian Open and the Boomerang Cup to the Junior Handicap, Family Doubles, and the U.S. Level Championships—which wrapped up just hours ago—it’s been a nonstop month.

So this is a big issue, full of tournament reports, a new Pro Tip from Steve Virgona on “The Power of Sequence,” and a video lesson from Wayward Racquets and Camden Riviere on “Return of Serve – Cut Volley.”

You’ll also find updates on recent changes across U.S. pro shops and a look at the Boys’ World Juniors, where we’re happy to report that five of our juniors have qualified. The Worlds will be held at Seacourt in August— stay tuned.

Need a break from Super Bowl coverage next weekend? Tune in to the National Open. The final is set for 12:30 on Sunday, leaving plenty of time to enjoy some tennis and still be ready for the Big Game. February keeps rolling with the 122nd Gold Racquets weekend and the U.S. 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s.

So grab a warm drink, settle in, and see what’s been happening in the tennis world.

Until next month….

Sincerely,

Jane Lippincott - Editor

U.S. Court Tennis Association

Greevy Cup 20-29 - Phil Stockton, Dave Tedeschi (Champion), William Spruance (Finalist), Head Professional Josh Smith

2026 LEVEL CHAMPIONSHIPS -

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Burke Cup (20-29) - Dave Tedeschi def. William Spruance 6-0, 5-6, 6-2

Noll Cup (30-39) - Tyler Sloan def. Trevor Jones 6-1, 6-0

Burke Cup (40-49) - Joey Gingold def. Jericho Seguin 6-2, 6-2

Wharton Cup (50-59) - Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh def Mark Talbott 6-4, 6-2

Hickey Cup (60-69) - Brian Cunningham def. Chris O'Brien 6-1, 6-3

Faulise Cup (70+) - Kathy Minevitz def. Emily Seeburger 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

Noll Cup (30-39) - Tyler Sloan (Champion) &

Trevor Jones (FInalist)

Burke Cup (40-49) - Jericho Seguin (Finalist), Head Professional John Lumley and Joey Gingold (Champion)

Wharton Cup (50-59) - Mark Talbott (Finalist), Dave Christensen and Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh (Champion)

Hickey Cup (60-69) - Chris O'Brien (Finalist) &

Brian Cunningham (Champion)

Faulise Cup (70+) - Emily Seeburger (Finalist) &

Kathy Minevitz (Champion)

Ellen Devoe, Stathi Kyriakides, Beth Winthrop, Noelle Shiland, Steve Devoe & Keith Mayes

NEWPORT WINS THE 2026 BOOMERANG CUP

by Amy Wintersteen


January 2026 marked the 18th Boomerang Cup, hosted by Royal Melbourne Tennis Club and by every measure, it was a tournament to remember.

This year’s event welcomed more than 180 players, including an impressive 84 international competitors, representing Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Across 32 teams and 81 handicap doubles pairs, the Boomerang Cup once again delivered its hallmark combination of world-class tennis, camaraderie, and unforgettable hospitality.

The United States was proudly represented by 14 players from the National Tennis Club as well as Kim Kilgore of Tuxedo Park and David Grier of Westwood. The Boomerang Cup lived up to its reputation providing players with spectacular summer weather, extraordinary food, and entertainment that rivaled the tennis itself. Visits to Ballarat, Sydney, Hobart, and Romsey courts, truffle hunting, bushwalks, swimming, and memorable meals all proved that while tennis was the focus, adventure was never far behind. 

Newport fielded two teams, the Newport Nicks and the Volley Llamas and even supplied additional players to help other teams fill their rosters, a true testament to the spirit of the event. While Newport players performed strongly across both Boomerang matches and the Handicap Doubles, it was the Volley Llamas who surged through to the finals and solidified the win, powered by consistency, cohesion, and exceptional teamwork.



Chris Chapman, Camden Riviere, Steve Virgona & Nick Howell

Photo coutersy of ARTA

2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Men’s Singles

Camden Riviere def. Steve Virgona

 6-1, 6-0, 6-0

Women’s Singles

Claire Fahey def. Lea Van Der Zwalmen 

6-0, 6-0 

Men’s Doubles

Nick Howell & Steve Virgona (1) def.

Camden Riviere & Chris Chapman (2) 

6-3 3-6 5-6 6-3 6-2

Women’s Doubles

Claire Fahey & Saskia Bollerman (1) def.

Lea Van Der Zwalmen & Katherine Carney (2) 

6-3 6-2

Saskia Bollerman, Claire Fahey,

Katherine Carney & Lea Van Der Zwalmen

Photo coutersy of ARTA

Jonah Serotta and Kurt Mueller

Photo by Marco Calderon

JUNIORS

AMERICA’S NEXT COURT TENNIS WAVE IS COMING — AND IT’S ARRIVING AT SEACOURT

by Mark Philpott

For the first time in years, American junior court tennis isn’t just showing up — it’s making noise.

When the draw for the 2026 Junior World Court Tennis Championship was finalized, the U.S. presence stood out immediately. Four American juniors qualified directly for the world’s toughest junior event, with a fifth earning a place as first reserve and ultimately entering the field. Play begins August 24 at Seacourt, England, and for American fans, this feels like the start of something real.

The American Contingent

This year’s U.S. juniors bring range, depth, and momentum — spread across multiple clubs, styles, and stages of development:

Jonah Serotta (World Rank: 3)

Age 16 | Racquet Club of Philadelphia (RCOP)

Kurt Mueller (World Rank: 7)

Age 13 | Tuxedo Club

Aiden Bae (World Rank: 14)

Age 17 | Westwood Country Club

Paul Nieuwerburgh (World Rank: 16)

Age 17 | Tuxedo Club

Elliott Evans-Philpott (World Rank: 17 – Reserve)

Age 14 | Westwood Country Club

A Championship with History — and Stakes

This will be the fourth edition of the Junior World Championship. The inaugural 2020 event ended in an all-American final, a moment that hinted at long-term promise. Momentum paused primarily due to the Covid pandemic, as the 2022 and 2024 championships featured no U.S. competitors, allowing England to dominate the junior world stage.

Max Trueman claimed the 2022 title, followed by Max Warner in 2024. Warner — still just 15 — returns this summer as defending champion and the benchmark everyone else must chase.

Handicap data suggests the eventual winner will likely come from the top four seeds, but junior court tennis has never been friendly to predictions. With seven months remaining, there is an outside chance for the others to make dramatic gains. In particular, I am keeping an eye on the juniors who will still be eligible for the 2028 tournament. Rapid improvement frequently occurs when technical skills are elevated by mental and physical growth. Expect movement. Expect surprises.

Walt Laukitis and Winter Evans-Jones was the final, with Jeremy Wintersteen presenting as former USCTA President.

2026 JUNIOR HANDICAP SINGLES

The Tuxedo Club hosted (8) Juniors for the 2026 Junior Handicap Singles Championships.


The participants were:

Jeremy Wintersteen JR. (Newport)

Winter Evans-Jones (Philadelphia)

Ford Evans-Jones (Philadelphia)

Macalister Simpson (Tuxedo)

Lulu Gorzynski (Tuxedo)

Walt Laukitis (Tuxedo)

Benny Cassin (Westwood)

Deven Paes (Tuxedo)

The tournament committee had the participants play in (2) Round Robins with the top two finishers moving on the Sem-Finals.  The juniors had a blast and provided the spectators with some entertaining and spectacular tennis.

Semi-Finals

Walt Laukitis defeated Lucian Gorzynski

Winter Evans-Jones defeated Deven Paes

Walt Laukitis – Champion

Winter Evans-Jones – Finalist

A huge Thank You to the Tuxedo Club for hosting the event and being so supportive of the development of Junior Court Tennis in the USA!

Family HCP Doubles Final - Gavin & Lindsay Maxwell (Finalists), Dave Christensen (Tuxedo Racquets Co-Chair),

Heather & Jeremy Kidde (Champions)

2026 FAMILY HANDICAP DOUBLES

The ‘Family’ HCP Doubles has turned into a fun, successful and entertaining event on the USCTA calendar.

2026 saw 15 teams participate @ The Tuxedo Club:

                  (6) Father-Son teams

                  (5) Husband-Wife teams

                  (3) Mother-Son teams

                  (1) Father-Daughter team

Included in the 2026 teams were the defending champions: Lindsay & Gavin Maxwell.

Each team played a minimum of 3-12 game matches with the top (4) teams moving on the semi-finals.



Semi-Finals

Defending Champions Lindsay & Gavin Maxwell defeated Lauren & Doug Rowles

Heather & Jeremy Kidde defeated Serena & Kurt Mueller

Congratulations to our new Family Doubles Champions – Heather & Jeremy Kidde!

The New York Racquet & Tennis Club is proud to partner with the United States Court Tennis Association and the United States Court Tennis Preservation Foundation to host the National League Super Event & Pro-Am from March 30 to April 1, 2026. 


This is the fifth year of the Super Event format and it will feature 7 of the top 8 doubles players in the world, for three days of intense doubles competition in a team format.

With the invaluable partnership from the professionals, the National League continues to evolve as the premier annual event, featuring the strongest field in the country.

The event will be streamed live on the USCTA YouTube channel. For further details please contact the Pro Shop at the New York Racquet & Tennis Club. 

THE STAGE IS SET FOR THE WORLD DOUBLES AT MORETON MORRELL

APRIL 22-26^TH

The court is ready, seats are selling, tournament preparations are under way.

Will you be at the World Doubles Championship 2026?

The best of the best are back to seek glory. It’s the same line up as 2024, but who is on form this year? What of the recent shake-up in France and in Australia?

If you follow tennis at the highest level, this is where you will be.

Tickets are selling fast – Front Dedans and Gallery seats 90+% sold for the final. so get yours now! Visit mmtcc.org/wdc2026 for seating options.

As well as watching the feast of tennis, book your place at the Gala Dinner on Saturday 25^th April and join us in fundraising for the club. 

And while you are here, emulate your heros by playing in the Amateur Doubles and Squash Tennis tournaments.

Don’t miss out - book on mmtcc.org/wdc2026

TIPS FROM THE PROS

THE POWER OF SEQUENCE

by Steve Virgona

There are many different parts of the stroke that make up a good shot, for instance watching the ball, cutting it, or even the contact point. When teaching the game, my focus is on the sequence of these parts. Those of you that are regular readers know that I often compare tennis to golf and the similarities of the two sports. When hitting a tee shot, you have swing thoughts but more attention is paid to the order, or sequence of these thoughts. I like to apply these same principles to the technique of hitting a tennis ball.

The most important part of hitting the ball correctly is early racket preparation, but I would go a step further and say it should be the first thing you do when deciding to hit a shot. A natural instinct for players is to see the ball go to a corner, run to it, get our racket back then try to play an effective shot.

More often than not, we end up too close to the ball, or swinging too quickly and framing it or hitting the ball wildly across the net. There's a good chance we've decided to hit a forehand or backhand when the ball is passing over the net, or about halfway from our opponent to us.

Once you've determined which shot you are going to hit, your racket should then move to the correct ready position, then we move our feet heading towards where we are going to hit the ball. As we've created a swing zone, we know where we plan to bring the racket through to meet the ball and are very likely to be the correct distance from the ball. We are also able to put a good, positive, smooth swing on the ball and our chances of timing the ball have increased when focusing on the sequence of the shot.

CHANGES ACROSS THE U.S. PROFESSIONAL RANKS

There have been a number of changes among U.S. professionals in recent months. Please join us in welcoming both new—and familiar—faces to their new positions:

• Ben Taylor-Matthews – Head Professional, Westwood Country Club
• Josh Smith – Head Professional, National Tennis Club
• Lewis Williams – Senior Professional, National Tennis Club
• Tony Hollins – General Manager, Tennis & Racquet Club (formerly Head Professional at Newport)
• Max Trueman – Assistant Professional, Tuxedo Club
• Will Hopton – Director of Athletics, Racquet Club of Chicago

We congratulate each of them and wish them every success in their new roles.

Bounce

Carlin Wing has a new book out. A decade ago Wing, who was an All-Ivy squash player at Harvard and later reached world No.65 on the pro tour, became interested in court tennis. In Bounce, she focuses a chapter, "Regarding Ricochet," on tennis in the Renaissance, when the game was both played and taken as an object-to-think-with by great thinkers including Galileo, Bernoulli, Shakespeare and Hobbes. As an enclosed and dialogical form of ball play that was organized around a just barely contained kind of ricochet, court tennis allowed people in Europe to get a handle on new and contradictory natural, social, and cosmological orders of their day. Scaino appears at length in the book, including a brilliant recapitulation of the three ways of betting in his day. Wing also explains the game of jeu de bonde. The rest of the book touches upon scoring, betting, probability, and conditions of bounce that gets established in tennis' early years. We get to see how the analysis shifts when tennis and other balls start being made out of rubber, and shifts again when they are suddenly just streaks of light or square pixels sent careening across computer screens.