News
Adult Tennis News
HOW USTA ADULT LEAGUES BROUGHT THIS FATHER-DAUGHTER DUO CLOSER
For Kennett Lai and his daughter, Ashleen, Father’s Day isn’t celebrated around a backyard barbecue or on a phone call. It’s celebrated on a tennis court.
ROZ KING IS PROOF AGE IS NEVER A BARRIER TO COMPETITION OR SUCCESS
While most people fortunate enough to reach the age of 88 are content to enjoy quieter days, San Diego’s Rosalie ‘Roz’ King is doing quite the opposite.
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.
Junior Tennis News
EIGHT CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT 124TH ANNUAL SOCAL JUNIOR SECTIONALS
The 124th SoCal Junior Sectionals crowned its newest group of champions on Sunday, concluding two weekends of competition that featured nearly 500 of the region’s top players.
THE SOCAL STANDARD: COMPETING WITH CHARACTER IN JUNIOR TENNIS
In SoCal, a global epicenter for tennis excellence, the community has long produced athletes who are not only accomplished competitors, but also respected leaders among their peers.
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.
Community Tennis News
THE SPIRIT BEHIND JEANETTE LEE’S IMPACT ON SOCAL TENNIS
Jeanette Lee has spent decades growing junior tennis in SoCal, using her passion for the sport to inspire young players and help develop the next generation of leaders on and off the court.
JOHN LANSVILLE’S LIFELONG EFFORT TO CULTIVATE PRIDE AND BELONGING IN TENNIS
Having witnessed the sport’s impact firsthand, John Lansville sees tennis as a profound equalizer where anyone, regardless of identity, has the right to stand on a level playing field.
CONAN LORENZO HONORED WITH 2026 DAVE BORELLI LEADERSHIP AWARD
LJBTC Director of Tennis Conan Lorenzo has been named the recipient of the 2026 Dave Borelli Leadership Award, presented by the Orange County Community Tennis Association.
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA EARNS DESERVING TENNIS TOWNS RECOGNITION
The Palos Verdes Peninsula remains an undeniable mecca of tennis that is deeply embedded into its culture, making it a deserving recipient as USTA SoCal’s newest Tennis Town.
USTA SOCAL PRIDE MONTH FEATURE: THE GREAT NEUTRALIZER – RALPH NUNLEY
Ralph Nunley has spent decades building community and creating welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ players. His story celebrates the power of inclusion and belonging on and off the court.
College Tennis News
TREVOR SVAJDA JOINS FIELD FOR US OPEN COLLEGIATE WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
When SoCal’s Trevor Svajda steps onto the courts at the USTA National Campus this June, he’ll return as one of college tennis’ top players looking to take the next major step in his career.
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.
Pro Tennis News
SOCAL PRO SERIES: BRYCE NAKASHIMA WINS FIRST PRO SINGLES TITLE
Ohio State Buckeye Bryce Nakashima captured his first professional singles title with a hometown victory at the San Diego SoCal Pro Series at Barnes Tennis Center.
SOCAL PRO SERIES: ZAMORA AND NAKASHIMA TO MEET IN SEMIFINALS IN SAN DIEGO
Noah Zamora and Bryce Nakashima each earned semifinal berths at the SoCal Pro Series in San Diego, setting up a hometown showdown at Barnes Tennis Center.
SOCAL PRO SERIES: SAN DIEGO’S KATHERINE HUI MAKES WINING START
Hometown favorite Katherine Hui is back in San Diego to compete in the SoCal Pro Series at Barnes Tennis Center as she continues her comeback on the ITF World Tennis Tour.
SOCAL PLAYERS HIGHLIGHT HISTORIC AMERICAN FIELD AT 2026 WIMBLEDON
The third Grand Slam of the year has arrived as the attention of the tennis world shifts from the red clay of Roland Garros to the iconic grass courts of Wimbledon.
SOCAL PRO SERIES: UCLA BRUIN SPENCER JOHNSON WINS BACK-TO-BACK TITLES
Spencer Johnson continued his impressive play on Sunday on the final day of the SoCal Pro Series Claremont event as he captured his second straight World Tennis Tour singles title.
SOCAL PRO SERIES: SAN DIEGO’S CASTILLO MEZA, AHN ADVANCE IN CLAREMONT
San Diego’s Midori Castillo Meza and Alyssa Ahn took different routes to the semifinals on Friday in the ITF World Tour $15,000 tournament hosted by USTA Southern California.
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.
