Legacies, Facilities, and Generational Talent
USTA SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
USTA SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Left to Right: Wayne Bryan, Colleen Scanlon, Leslie Lindahl, Sara Weber, Trevor Kronemann, Eric Davidson, Murphy Jensen, Roy Emerson,
Terri DeLong, Joannie Davidson, Cameron Ball, Max McKennon, and Drew Arbeiter
Left to Right: Wayne Bryan, Colleen Scanlon, Leslie Lindahl, Sara Weber, Trevor Kronemann, Eric Davidson, Murphy Jensen, Roy Emerson, Terri DeLong, Joannie Davidson, Cameron Ball, Max McKennon, and Drew Arbeiter
USTA Southern California continues its Tennis Towns series, an initiative that spotlights thriving tennis communities across the region, from the Central Coast to San Diego and from the Inland Empire to the Pacific Ocean. Each community has a unique story, shaped by its history, achievements, and contributions to the growth of the game. These towns create opportunities for players of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. From private clubs and college courts to public parks, they champion grassroots, community-driven programs while fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment.
Since launching in 2025, Tennis Towns has recognized communities with rich tennis traditions and strong player engagement. Each feature includes an in-depth written profile paired with a video spotlight showcasing the people, history, and unique character of the community.
The first six Tennis Town honorees—Bakersfield (March ‘25), Ojai (May ‘25), Claremont (August ‘25), Long Beach (October ‘25), Coachella Valley (May ‘26), and the Palos Verdes Peninsula (June ‘26)—were each recognized for preserving tennis history while promoting the game’s future. The series not only celebrates communities with outstanding facilities, programs, and tournaments, but also highlights the volunteers, coaches, and advocates who make tennis a vibrant part of local life.
Newport Beach is the latest addition to join this distinguished list as a Tennis Town in Southern California, celebrated for its historic clubs and facilities, concentration of talent and player pipeline, rich family legacies, and a lifelong commitment to competitive excellence.
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Beginnings at Balboa Bay Racquet Club
Since the late 1940s, Newport Beach has built a rich legacy of world-class tennis clubs full of high-profile exhibitions, Hollywood greats, and championship play that pioneered tennis as a lifestyle of luxury in the area.
The facility that started it all was the Balboa Bay Club, built in 1948 on nearly 16 acres of city-owned bayfront land. Its waterfront courts quickly became a haven for business leaders, politicians, and celebrities like John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, and Bob Hope, who frequently visited coastal getaways. Today, the resort is known as the Balboa Bay Resort—a 160-room hotel with the same renowned bayfront views that continue to make it a premier vacation destination in Southern California.
To meet the growing demand for competitive play, the Balboa Bay Club expanded off-site just two miles down the road in 1956. Originally opened as the Irvine Coast Racquet Club before being renamed the Balboa Bay Racquet Club in 1967, this dedicated racquet facility offered far greater capacity than its waterfront counterpart during the post-WWII tennis boom. Featuring 24 courts—including three dedicated stadium showcase courts—the club became a bustling venue for regional tournaments, celebrity exhibitions, and social events throughout the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. It was a preferred exhibition site for legends like Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, and Arthur Ashe, while Hollywood stars and even former President George H.W. Bush hit the courts, with Bush famously playing doubles alongside club pros.
In 2009, the club parted ways with the Balboa Bay Resort brand and was renamed The Tennis Club at Newport Beach, later The Tennis & Pickleball Club at Newport Beach. Under the leadership of Sean Bollettieri-Abdali, son of legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, the venue has evolved alongside today’s modern racquet sport landscape. It now features 12 tennis courts, 31 pickleball courts, and Orange County’s only European red clay court.
Serving Up History at Newport Beach Tennis Club
In 1966, the Newport Beach Tennis Club (NBTC) was established in what would become one of the most prestigious tennis clubs in the area. Sitting on 7.5 acres near Upper Newport Bay, NBTC was envisioned as the ultimate private social and athletic retreat. With 19 lighted tennis courts, a sunken center stadium court, a full-service clubhouse, restaurant, pool, and fitness center, NBTC offers the full tennis lifestyle for competitive players and families alike.
Throughout the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s, NBTC cemented its status as an internationally recognized venue by hosting world-class exhibition matches and tournaments. In 1977, the club gained global prestige when it was selected as the host site for the Davis Cup Americas Zone Semifinal, where a star-studded lineup featuring Roscoe Tanner, Stan Smith, and Bob Lutz defeated South Africa 4-1, with thousands of fans and international media watching.
The club has also routinely hosted professional events and World TeamTennis (WTT) matches, drawing hall-of-fame legends like Billie Jean King, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, and Roy Emerson. Today, it remains an iconic fixture for Orange County tennis—continuing to adapt to contemporary sports culture through high-performance junior development programs, tournaments, adult leagues, and social events.
World TeamTennis matches, drawing legends of the game such as Billie Jean King, Rod Laver, and Ken Rosewall.
An Unwavering Commitment to Tennis
Tony Wright, Head Tennis Professional at NBTC, says the club stands apart for its commitment to being purely a tennis club, while other local facilities have expanded to include additional racquet sports.
“We are almost the last club that is solely tennis,” Wright explained. “We have 19 courts here, and no other racquet sports. We’re a fully committed tennis club, and I feel like other clubs have kind of started to seek other revenue streams. We’ve been lucky enough to hold true and stick to tennis.”
That single-sport focus gives the club’s roughly 900 tennis and swim members unmatched availability. “We’re able to space out matches where everyone gets to play,” Wright shared. “We have ladies leagues in the mornings, men’s leagues at nights, USTA tournaments on the weekends…we pretty much cater to every level of tennis here.”
Beyond its court availability, the enduring heart of NBTC lies in its welcoming, multi-generational community, a quality teaching pro Cari Garfield sees firsthand every day.
“I’ve been here a long time, and the members are amazing,” Garfield said. “I’ve been teaching a lot of the members for many, many years, and I love to watch them play. I still get to see them 20 years later having the best time of their lives out here. It’s a beautifully run club—everybody seems to be happy and positive, and it’s just a nice place to be. We favor everybody here—we want everybody to play tennis.”
Garfield’s Coaching Impact on Wheelchair, Adapted, and Autistic Players
In addition to her standard instruction, Garfield has made a profound impact on the local community through wheelchair and adapted tennis, describing beginner and specialized coaching as her core passion. Her journey into wheelchair tennis began in the 1980s, after she was inspired by watching a wheelchair player from Holland. Garfield became her coach and ultimately guided her to eight world titles, an Olympic gold medal, and an induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Garfield is equally dedicated to supporting athletes on the autism spectrum, those with Asperger’s, and players managing other personal challenges. Her work in autistic coaching started when she invited a friend’s son onto her court to help get him active. After over 14 years of mentorship, that player transformed into a competitive athlete who was ultimately named Player of the Year at Newport Harbor High School.
Garfield noted the deep personal fulfillment this work brings, sharing, “If anybody has any type of autism or is on the spectrum at all, I want to help them. I want to help them build friendships and confidence. And tennis does that for them. Whether they hit or miss a ball, I’m going to make them feel like they’ve accomplished something—that they’re good at tennis.”
Wayne, Stuart, and Davidson Build Vision for Palisades Tennis Club
As passion for the sport continued to explode, new landmark facilities emerged to expand the city’s tennis footprint even further. Just two miles down the road from NBTC, John Wayne Tennis Club opened its doors in 1974. The club—now rebranded as Palisades Tennis Club—was founded by Ken Stuart, a Southern California Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, in collaboration with film actor, John Wayne. Together, the two brought innovative management and star power to the facility. Stuart served as General Manager, Head Pro, and Tennis Director through the years, while Wayne leveraged his likeness to launch and brand the facility, famously enjoying the club’s atmosphere and watching matches from the club’s lounge.
“We all owe a lot to Ken Stuart for building this great club,” said Scott Davis, 1991 Australian Open doubles champion, former ATP World No. 2 in doubles, and current teaching pro at Palisades. “It remains one of the top tennis facilities in our area…I have known many of the members for years and have nothing but great experiences there week to week.”
Stuart’s dedication to the member experience extended beyond the club’s facilities to how players connected and competed every day. One of his proudest achievements was inventing and developing the world’s first proprietary computerized match making system. Designed to arrange and schedule matches with members of the same skill level, time availability, and playing preferences, the system helped create millions of competitive matches across Stuart’s tenure, setting an industry benchmark for member engagement.
Eric Davidson, owner of Palisades since 2020, reflected on Stuart’s industry-leading vision and lasting impact on the club’s member-first culture.
“I think Ken was respected by everybody in the tennis world and the employees and members of Palisades,” Davidson remarked. “He did a great job of taking care of the members. The quality of tennis and the match arranging program that he developed was unique too. I still haven’t seen anything like it. Ken just had a really good way with people.”
Davis Cup and World TeamTennis in Newport Beach
In 1995, following Wayne’s passing in 1979, the original partnership structure was looking to sell, and Stuart acquired full ownership of the club. Under Stuart’s leadership, Palisades was modernized into one of Southern California’s premier tennis venues, hosting many high-profile events such as the Davis Cup and WTT.
Twenty years after NBTC’s Davis Cup, Palisades hosted the 1997 World Group Quarterfinal. Broadcast to over 100 million ESPN viewers, multi-Grand Slam champions Andre Agassi and Jim Courier led the U.S. to a 4-1 victory over the Netherlands.
Palisades also served as a home venue for the WTT franchise, the Orange County Breakers. Founded in 2003, the franchise was purchased by Davidson in 2017. Two years later, he expanded his involvement in the sport by becoming WTT’s majority owner and Chairman of the Board.
The Breakers originally called Palisades home from 2003 through 2006, capturing their first WTT King Trophy championship in 2004. Following stints at alternative venues, including UC Irvine and a brief relocation to Texas, the franchise returned to Newport Beach in 2016 at NBTC before settling back at Palisades as its permanent stadium venue in 2017. That same year, the Breakers captured their second WTT Championship, followed by a third title in 2021.
Reflecting on the franchise’s deep ties to the venue, Davidson points to the unique synergy between professional tennis and the local neighborhood.
“I think the importance of being in the local community is really the value of World TeamTennis,” Davidson remarked. “I think it’s really a competition that’s designed for families and the community. So making it part of the local community, interacting with the local schools, and local tennis organizations was critical to the success of World TeamTennis. It just really fit at Palisades with the tremendous amount of support from our membership. It was kind of a no-brainer.”
Palisades Tennis Club served as the home for the Orange County Breakers of World TeamTennis.
Palisades Tennis Club served as the home for the Orange County Breakers of World TeamTennis.
Orange County Breakers’ Elite Coaching and Star Power
The Breakers were led from 2016 to 2021 by Newport Beach resident Rick Leach, a former ATP World No. 1 doubles player and nine-time Grand Slam doubles champion. Under his leadership, the franchise earned two King Trophy titles and drafted world-class talent to Newport Beach’s courts, including Maria Sharapova, Steve Johnson, and Desirae Krawczyk.
For Leach, coaching the Breakers was a high-energy experience deeply rooted in the local community. “It was very fast-paced,” Leach recalled. “When I coached, we would sell the place out every time.”
WTT represented a special family legacy for the Leach family. Decades before Rick took the helm, his father, Dick Leach Sr., coached Newport Beach’s original WTT franchise. Dick also spent 23 years leading the Trojans program, and earning two ITA Coach of the Year honors and four Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors.
“My dad was the coach back for the Newport Beach Dukes, named after John Wayne,” Leach said. “He was able to win one World TeamTennis title as Head Coach. Fast forward, when I coached, I was able to win the King Trophy twice coaching for the [rebranded] Orange County Breakers.”
Reflecting on the legendary roster of players who competed at Palisades over the decades, Leach emphasized Palisades’ rich history. “We had everybody playing here in Newport Beach,” he added. “If that center court could talk, it would be an encyclopedia of tennis.”
The father-son Leach duo weren’t the only ones who contributed to the success of WTT in Newport Beach. USTA Southern California’s Executive Director, Trevor Kronemann, played a number of years for the Dukes on the WTT Tour, earning Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors. Later, he went on to coach another WTT franchise, the Springfield Lasers, from 2000 to 2006, before taking over as Head Coach of the Newport Beach Breakers (later the Orange County Breakers) starting in 2007. During his multi-year stint with the franchise, he coached stars including Maria Sharapova, Pete Sampras, and Lindsay Davenport.
“It was a wonderful 25 year run with World TeamTennis as a player, coach, and TV commentator,” Kronemann reflected. “I’ve been really fortunate to be around Billie Jean King and the World TeamTennis Organization. It truly is the reason why I’ve been so blessed along the way until now as the Executive Director of USTA Southern California.”
The 2017 Orange County Breakers World TeamTennis team.
Palisades’ Dedication to Service
That same tradition of high-caliber tennis and coaching continues into the Palisades’ culture today. Outfitted with ten lighted courts, an automated ball machine, a pro shop, lounge, bar, café, and an elite coaching staff, the club’s focus remains as much on its members as its historic roots.
For incoming General Manager and teaching pro Drew Arbeiter, maintaining that balance between honoring the club’s elite heritage and fostering a community-first environment is the ultimate goal of the Palisades experience.
“The quality of tennis and family atmosphere is second to none here at Palisades,” Arbeiter shared. “It’s a great place to work, and you don’t want to give up your job because it’s heaven.”
Beyond the everyday culture, Arbeiter is dedicated to carrying forward the high standards set by the leaders before him.
“I feel like I have a lot of people to admire and continue that tradition of putting the member first,” he said. “I love being of service to everybody and conversing with the members on a daily basis—seeing what they’re looking for so that I can make improvements and maybe share that with the next person after me.”
Beloved Local Tournaments and National Prestige
Palisades also serves as the host site for several longstanding and beloved annual tournaments in Newport Beach, including the Roy Emerson Tennis Classic (formerly the Adoption Guild Tennis Classic) and the Ken Stuart Pacific Southwest Senior Championships.
The Roy Emerson Tennis Classic—a USTA Level 5 charity tournament held over five days during Memorial Day weekend—originally began in 1961. Named in honor of Australian Grand Slam legend and local resident Roy Emerson, alongside his wife Joy, the tournament raises funds for the Holy Family Services and Foster Care Agency and draws over 500 competitors annually across Palisades, NBTC, and previously The Tennis Club at Newport Beach.
“I became involved with the event and charity for many years,” Emerson said. “My involvement with this event was very special to me, as it was for a great cause. I was extremely proud and honored that they asked me to put the event in my name.”
The Ken Stuart Pacific Southwest Senior Championships has also cemented itself as a premier senior tournament in the United States. Celebrating a remarkable 100 years, it carries a deep history in Southern California tennis as one of the oldest and most prestigious events for top-ranked senior players across the nation. The USTA Level 2 tournament features men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles from age 35 to 90, as well as father-son and husband-wife competition.
Arbeiter reflects on the attention and prestige these events have brought not only to the local community, but even to out-of-state and international players.
“Both tournaments have grown,” he reflected. “For Roy Emerson, we usually have an average of over 500 people play over five days. For the Pacific Southwest, it’s the same. You get people playing from all over the country and internationally. So it’s important for me to give them the best experience at Palisades. I want to make sure everybody has a great week here in Newport Beach.”
Ken Stuart with the Pacific Southwest Senior Championships trophy named in his honor.
Neighborhood Hidden Gems: Peninsula Point and Lido Isle
Tucked away among Newport Beach’s peninsula lie two smaller clubs situated among the local neighborhood. Peninsula Point Racquet Club, a two-court club hidden among the Balboa Peninsula, is so discreet that one may miss it. But look closely, and it’s brimming with social play, league tennis, and teaching pros beloved by the community. Founded in the late 1960s by local residents Dorothy and Bob Beauchamp, the club grew organically from a single private court into a cherished neighborhood institution. After acquiring an adjacent court built in the 1930s, the Beauchamps created a close-knit sanctuary that has served as the heartbeat of the Peninsula Point community.
Just across the bay lies another hidden gem: the courts at Lido Isle. Home to the Lido Isle Tennis Club, which was formed in 1953, this Mediterranean-style private island community features three lighted tennis courts scattered across the neighborhood. With year-round instructional programs, junior clinics, and ladies’ teams led by certified teaching pros, the courts serve as a central social hub.
Public Courts and Community Play
While Newport Beach’s private racquet clubs are world-renowned as exclusive coastal sanctuaries, the city’s vibrant tennis culture has thrived just as strongly on its public courts. With free and accessible places to play throughout the community, Newport Beach’s park system makes it easy for anyone to pick up a racquet and find a court. Facilities such as West Newport Park, Mariners Park & VJ Community Center, Bonita Canyon Sports Park, and Coastal Canyon Park, along with residential neighborhood facilities like Park Newport and Newport Crest, offer well-maintained courts that are open to the general public.
For generations, these public courts have served as the starting line for local tennis enthusiasts, from neighbors enjoying a casual match to aspiring high school players practicing after class. That accessibility has helped keep tennis deeply woven into the fabric of everyday life in Newport Beach.
At the heart of public park tennis is veteran Parks and Recreation coach Jim Moore, who has been teaching on Newport Beach’s public courts since 1985. Unlike traditional club pros, Moore has dedicated nearly four decades exclusively to public park instruction.
“I like teaching in the parks,” Moore explained. “I get new people learning to play all the time, and I get to reach the general population. I like working with beginners because you get them going and they leave with a smile.”
Teaching across five different city park locations, Moore’s group classes and instruction have introduced thousands of residents to the game. His grassroots work often serves as the stepping stone for local players striving for competitive success. A Newport Harbor High School alum, it’s a full circle moment for Moore to work directly with fellow Newport Harbor High School players and watch them improve over time.
“Luckily, I get to work with high school players—most of them go to Newport Harbor High,” he said. “I worked with one girl over the summer, and she came by recently to tell me she made the varsity team. That was just awesome.”
For many young athletes, public parks and neighborhood clinics marked the start of a broader competitive journey, laying the groundwork for entry into a highly competitive junior pipeline.
Grassroots Foundations
The remarkable pool of talent that continues to emerge from Newport Beach relies on a strong foundation built early on. For generations of local athletes, the path from casual play to elite competition flows directly through public courts, Junior Team Tennis (JTT), high school programs, and the junior tournament landscape. Today, Orange County accounts for nearly 3,000 of the 8,000 Junior Team Tennis players across the section. Whit Kenerson, Head Coach of the Boys and Girls Tennis teams at Sage Hill School, pointed out that Newport Beach offers a uniquely convenient hub for young families navigating busy schedules.
“Luckily in Orange County, it’s easy to get to a lot of clubs in a very short amount of time,” Kenerson noted. “Just here in Newport Beach, we have four or five clubs which allow you to have your whole league right in town. When you’re a young family with multiple siblings, convenience is huge.”
For Kenerson, whose own children developed their passion through JTT, the format offers a balanced entry point into competitive sports without the exhaustive travel schedule of national junior tournaments.
“They love the camaraderie of team tennis and meeting other people,” Kenerson observed. “Timing it to play two and a half hours every weekend was perfect for what they wanted to do. It’s turned into special relationships, not only for the kids playing tennis, but for myself meeting all the families.”
Family Legacies and Generational Support
The tennis infrastructure of Newport Beach is only half the equation, with local families providing the support system for young athletes. Thanks to year-round playable conditions, a high concentration of veteran teaching pros, and close-knit neighborhood courts, parents can guide a player from their very first lesson to college-level play without ever leaving the city limits.
Few families encapsulate this generational tradition better than the Hoffmann family. Both Carsten Hoffmann and Biljana Longman were standout collegiate players just down the road at UC Irvine, where Carsten helped secure three consecutive Big West titles from 1988 to 1990, and Biljana earned All-Conference honors while amassing 58 career singles victories. They raised all three of their sons in Newport Beach and sent them to Corona del Mar High School (CdM), where they played on the boys’ tennis team.
Eldest son Bjorn capped a stellar high school career by capturing the 2016 CIF Southern Section individual singles title, leading CdM to its first-ever CIF Southern California Regional championship, and earning Southern California MVP and Orange County Register Player of the Year honors. Rated the No. 16 recruit nationally and No. 4 in California, he launched his collegiate career at UC Berkeley before transferring to UC Irvine to finish as a graduate student on the exact same courts where his parents built their legacy. Middle son Nik also played for the Sea Kings before earning his degree at UC Santa Barbara.
Youngest son Niels cemented his own CdM legacy as a standout graduate, earning the 2023 SoCal Boys Co-MVP award before dominant back-to-back CIF Southern Section individual singles titles in 2023 and 2024. Ranked No. 23 nationally and No. 6 in California, Niels captured the prestigious 2024 Ojai CIF Boys Singles Championship and earned 2024 Orange County Player of the Year honors. He went on to commit to the University of Southern California, where he is now in his junior season.
“Newport Beach has been an ideal place for our family to grow up playing tennis,” Bjorn reflected. “The year-round weather allowed us to practice consistently without having to travel during the winter or summer. Just as importantly, Southern California has an incredible concentration of talented players, coaches, schools, and tournaments. We could always find strong competition and high-quality training close to home. Having those resources in our backyard saved our family tremendous time and made Newport Beach an extremely supportive environment for our development.”
For Carsten, raising elite players locally comes down to the unmatched depth of the community and its star-studded coaching registry.
“In Newport Beach, you never really have to leave town very far to get great competition,” Carsten explained. “When my kids on any given day can get two or three hits that are at a higher level than they currently play at, that’s really what makes it feasible. You have a lot of good teaching pros. You think about just at Palisades, there’s Rick Leach, Scott Davis, Robert Van’t Hof, and Lindsay Davenport to name a few. There’s just a long history of really strong tennis.”
As an elementary school teacher who handled the organizational side of her sons’ junior careers, Biljana witnessed how long-term athletic success stems from values that extend far beyond match results.
“I believe that discipline, organization, preparation, and sportsmanship play a huge part in their development,” Biljana shared. “We are not going to win every match, but we are going to show up, do our best, and treat people with kindness, humility, and perseverance.”
She advised both parents and players navigating the competitive junior circuit to keep the broader perspective in mind.
“Try to enjoy the journey because it goes by so quickly,” Biljana added. “Remind your children to build a strong work ethic, stay resilient, and hold on to a true love for the game. Losing is hard, but it carries essential life lessons. Most importantly, embrace the friendships along the way. Tennis can be a lonely sport, but playing for a high school team like Corona del Mar gives kids a wonderful shared experience and relationships that last a lifetime.”
Prep Powerhouses
As junior players transition into high school, Newport Beach offers one of the most competitive prep tennis environments in North America. Unlike many regions where top prospects opt out of high school tennis for private academies, local stars take pride in representing their campuses, often battling cross-town rivals like Irvine’s University High School for CIF Southern Section Division 1 supremacy.
Leading CdM’s historic program is Jamie Gresh, now in his 15th year leading the Sea Kings boys’ team and 12th year guiding the Sea Queens girls’ squad. CdM has long served as a flagship program in SoCal prep history, claiming over 20 combined CIF team titles across its boys and girls rosters over the decades.
“CdM is a tennis school, and the passion for the sport is high in this area of Newport Beach,” Gresh highlighted. “I love coaching at CdM and enjoy building a team and getting the players to have fun while competing at the highest level of high school tennis in SoCal.”
Bjorn pointed to CdM’s unique culture as a primary reason why high-level juniors stay involved in high school team play.
“During my time there, many top junior players still attended public school and competed for their high school teams,” Bjorn recalled. “CdM brought together an unusual concentration of talented athletes who trained seriously while taking pride in representing their school. Jamie was everything you could want in a developmental coach. He was passionate about the game, genuinely invested in helping his players improve, and able to balance patience with firmness and discipline. His approach was also very hands-on; he would compete against us in practice and coach through live points. He ran a tight ship, but he was every bit as committed and passionate as his players were.”
Under Gresh, the program maintains its high standards. Bjorn captured a CIF Southern Section individual singles title and led CdM to a SoCal Regional championship in 2016. Years later, Niels followed suit, guiding CdM to CIF team finals from 2022 to 2024 while winning back-to-back CIF individual singles titles in 2023 and 2024.
Carsten fondly remembered watching all three of his sons compete through that same system. “Watching the boys at CdM was very special for our family. Having a guy like Jamie, who taught as an assistant coach at the collegiate level and could still beat all the boys, set an incredibly high bar.”
Across town, Newport Harbor High School fosters a deep community connection under Head Coach Abrahim Yaftali. Having grown up playing junior tennis in Orange County, Yaftali brings an emphasis on character and team unity to the Sailors’ boys and girls programs.
“One of the things I really love about Newport Beach tennis, especially around Newport Harbor, is how close-knit the community is,” Yaftali remarked. “All of our players are from the local area, and there is a lot of connectedness and support. Tennis in many ways is an individual sport, but whether we have team practices or team dinners, I want to make sure all of my players feel included.”
Adding a dynamic private option to the city’s tennis landscape is Pacifica Christian High School Orange County, the second Pacifica Christian campus, established in 2015 as a sister school to the flagship Santa Monica location. The Newport Beach school quickly saw a surge in tennis interest when a student-led girls’ tennis club launched in 2018. Just two years later, Pacifica Christian officially added a varsity girls’ tennis program, establishing an impressive streak of winning records in every season since. The program expanded to introduce a boys’ varsity team in the 2023-2024 school year. Now entering a new chapter, Director of Tennis Caleb Barker has taken over to lead both programs, furthering Pacifica Christian’s mission to develop competitive, character-driven student-athletes in the Newport Beach community.
Corona del Mar Girls’ Tennis won the 2025 CIF SoCal Regional title.
Local Roots to Collegiate and Pro Success
The journey from local high schools into top-tier NCAA programs and the professional ranks is a well-traveled path in Newport Beach. For decades, the area’s active environment and strong support systems have produced athletes who carry their local experience onto national stages, often creating unique lifelong connections along the way.
Emilie Lew, a recent CdM graduate, anchored the girls’ tennis team lineup for four years, culminating in leading the Sea Queens to both CIF Southern Section and Regional titles in 2025 before committing to play at Washington University in St. Louis, where she is currently beginning her freshman season. Reflecting on her growth, Lew pointed to the surrounding environment as a constant catalyst for improvement.
“In Newport Beach, whether you’re surfing, playing tennis, or running, there are many people who are hardworking and very active,” Lew shared. “I feel super grateful to grow up in such a resourceful area when it comes to tennis. I have so many opportunities to push my limits. I have access to many different courts and resources like the gym that many other athletes don’t have access to, so I feel like that just sets a higher expectation for me.”
For former Newport Harbor standout Max McKennon, who went on to excel at Arizona State University before competing on the professional tour, his roots trace directly back to local neighborhood courts and local coaching lineages, including former ATP pros Cameron and Carsten Ball, sons of Australian tennis icon Syd Ball.
“I actually took my first lesson at the Palisades Tennis Club,” McKennon remembered. “My dad got me into tennis. The first time I went out with him, we went and played at Mariners Park, which is a public park over by my house. Those were kind of the earliest memories I have playing. I’ve played at Palisades, NBTC, and basically everywhere in Newport.”
McKennon noted that the concentration of talent in Southern California raised the standard for every junior in the section, where competing in USTA SoCal tournaments meant regularly facing future world-class players.
“Some of the best players in the world came out of Orange County like Alex Michelsen (Aliso Viejo) and Learner Tien (Irvine),” McKennon detailed. “Playing in the same events as these guys and others every weekend really shaped who I am today and who I have become. It was always so competitive which definitely helped me get better. My coach, Carsten Ball, is from Newport Beach and he’s definitely one of my biggest inspirations in tennis. I definitely think that being from Newport and having the support system of people from the area who have done this before at the highest level—like Carsten and Murphy Jensen along with others—is really helpful. It’s really cool to be from a village with such a rich history.”
The competitive culture in Newport Beach consistently translates into elite professional success across generations. Beyond college and rising ATP standouts, the area has served as the home, training ground, and springboard for icons who reached the summit of the game. Former World No. 1, three-time Grand Slam singles champion, and International Tennis Hall of Famer Lindsay Davenport grew up playing in Southern California and lived in Newport Beach for years, maintaining deep ties to the local club scene. Former World No. 21 and four-time ATP titleholder Taylor Dent spent significant time developing his game in Newport Beach, following in the footsteps of his father Phil Dent, a former Australian Open finalist and longtime local pro.
Thriving Adult Competition
While Newport Beach’s junior pipeline fuels the next generation, the city’s tennis heartbeat is kept vibrant by thousands of adult players who compete long past their youth and junior years. Newport Beach competes within USTA SoCal’s Orange County League Area, which represents one of the largest and most active adult league footprints in the entire section. Local teams out of Palisades, NBTC, and nearby public parks regularly battle through flight play across Adult 18+, 40+, 55+, and Tri-Level divisions for the chance to represent Orange County at the USTA SoCal Sectional Championships, with top winners advancing to represent Southern California at USTA League National Championships.
Longtime local captain and Palisades member Colleen Scanlon is no stranger to this success or the deep social connection that makes the Newport Beach league scene thrive. After relocating from New York 25 years ago specifically for the area’s tennis reputation, she immediately immersed herself in USTA League play at Palisades—eventually meeting her husband, Andy, on the courts as well as captaining both women’s and mixed doubles teams, including a 55 & Over Mixed Doubles squad all the way to USTA League Nationals in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“Tennis has a genuine way of bringing people together,” Scanlon reflected. “It starts on the court—you play, you laugh, you compete—and that extends off the court into real connections. There is so much depth and talent in Orange County, but creating an environment where every player feels supported is what it’s all about. Players perform at their highest level when they’re having fun and playing for each other.”
Beyond official USTA League play, the local adult culture thrives on weekly social events. Offerings such as Friday night mixers, mixed doubles drop-in play, and club round-robins blend casual play with an active, no-pressure lifestyle.
Whether taking up the sport for the first time through public park instruction or maintaining competitive ladder rankings into their 70s and 80s, adults in Newport Beach belong to an environment where players never have to age out of the game.
USTA Adult League Captain Colleen Scanlon with her Orange County team at Sectionals.
A Cherished Tennis Oasis
Ultimately, what makes Newport Beach special is not just its star-studded coaching registry or championship banners, but the tight-knit village that sustains it. It is a rare environment where outstanding talent, dedicated local families, and recreational players share the same courts and passion for the game. By pairing its storied history with world-renowned clubs, facilities, and programs for players of all ages and skill levels, Newport Beach continues to set the benchmark for Southern California tennis.
