Each year, the USTA Foundation sponsors an essay contest for youngsters ages 10-18 involved in NJTL programming nationwide. In 2022, entrants were asked to describe how tennis best reflects confidence, character, sportsmanship, and teamwork. For her winning essay among 10-year-olds, SoCal’s Jayara White and her father were awarded a trip to New York City as…

In late October, Southern California and Northern California did battle in the annual North-South Wheelchair Tennis Challenge. Led by Torrance native Atif Moon, SoCal emerged with its largest margin of victory ever. But that was the plan, after all. TeamSoCal had been gunning for revenge ever since NorCal defeated them by the same margin a…

As the founder and director of Match Point Tennis Academy, Elson De Cantuaria has forged a place for himself in Southern California tennis as an educator and coach of elite, well-rounded athletes. Although the Brazilian national is thousands of miles from his native land, his numerous students and companions in the sport of tennis have…

There was lots of hardware handed out over the weekend as both adult and junior competition culminated the 2022 Signature Series schedule. In Orange County, a host of adults earned sectional titles while juniors vied for the top spot in the annual Final 8 Junior Masters in Rancho Mirage. Nicolas Calixto and Daniela Borruel were…

With so many ways to enjoy the sport of tennis, many junior players might focus solely on tournament play, college tennis, or even starting a pro career early. However, in the midst of all these competitive endeavors, there is a special place that high school tennis occupies. Portola High School is a remarkable example of…

Matt Willson currently resides in Palos Verdes and is in his late fifties, while his father, Tom, is a spry 92-year-old living the good life in Florida. After winning a gold ball, six silver balls, and a bronze ball playing at father-son tournaments over 25 years, the duo has a lot to celebrate. However, despite…

This weekend in Rancho Mirage, 64 top juniors will descend upon Rancho Mirage at the USTA SoCal + Universal Tennis Final 8 Junior Masters, a two-day event featuring many top Grand Prix and UTR competitors vying for the year-end championship. But for sisters Johanna and Julianna Galindo, this is more than a tournament – it’s…

There are countless benefits to involvement in youth sports, ranging from making friends through social interaction to having the ability to travel the country, see new places, and meet new people through sports and competition. Thirteen-year-old Raina Kim has been making the most of her junior tennis journey so far, fueled by the opportunities she’s…

Next week’s finale to the junior season is one of the section’s most unique tournaments and promises to be among the most competitive of the entire junior calendar. On Saturday, November 19, the USTA SoCal + Universal Tennis Junior Masters Championships head to Rancho Mirage for two days of round-robin play among many of Southern…