Kayla Day Wins 7th Pro Singles Title on 26th
Birthday at Central Coast Tennis Classic

Santa Barbara’s Kayla Day was serenaded by a couple hundred fans who sang her Happy Birthday following her seventh pro singles title. She became the first Californian to win the Central Coast Tennis Classic, an ITF W75 event with $60,000 in prize money. The tournament, now in its seventh edition, was held in the heart of Central Coast wine country at the Templeton Tennis Ranch presented by Central Coast Home Health.

After winning the first set, 6-2, against the No. 5 seeded Canadian Kayla Cross, Day was leading 3-0 in the second set when the serving Cross lost the first point. She then walked over to the chair umpire and informed her she was going to retire from the match because of a left hip injury.

After the trophy presentation and photos, Day, who turned 26 on Sunday, joined about a dozen ball kids and jumped into the shallow end of the new swimming pool—a playful tradition that began  last year after Renata Zarazúa celebrated her singles title a day before her 27th birthday. 

“I expected a battle today and you never want to win that way so I’m sorry for Kayla,” Day told the crowd, later adding that “In those moments you just have to stay extra focused because you never know if she could come back.”

Cross said she injured her hip at the start of the match. “I went for a wide forehand and I could tell I had pulled something,” the 20-year-old Louisiana State University sophomore said. “During the first set it was getting worse and worse.”

Asked how she would rank the win among her seven career pro titles, the WTA world-ranked No. 345th player Day said, “It’s definitely up there. It’s my biggest title since I had my injury and me being from California and so close to home, it’s pretty special, especially on my birthday.”

The tournament featured a strong field of players, including several Southern California standouts. Unseeded 24-year-olds Haley Giavara (San Diego) and Eryn Cayetano (Long Beach) also notched early-round wins in singles, and the event has drawn rising stars and top juniors from around the country, reflecting the competitive depth of the Central Coast Classic.

Day, who was out for nine months after surgery on her right ankle, won two ITF W100 singles titles in 2023, the same year she reached the third round at the French Open.   

She earned 75 WTA ranking points and gave a shoutout to her longtime coach Larry Mousouris, who was a Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo All-American in the late 1960s. “Larry’s been my coach since I was 9 years old,” Day said. “Thanks to Larry for being here because he doesn’t get to travel with me very much.”

Mousouris couldn’t help but flash a smile or two on Kayla’s big day. “She’s worked very hard to get to this point,” he said. “But she knows there’s still a lot of work to do.”

Next up on the ITF World Tour circuit is the popular RSF Open taking place at the Rancho Santa Fe Tennis Club. The women’s event is an ITF W50 with $40,000 in prize money. Thousand Oaks’ Claire Liu is entered into the main draw. Follow all the action here on the tournament page HERE.