Courtesy of Dan Pyser, USTA Corporate Communications
DURHAM, N.C. — The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced that it has awarded a $21,000 grant to Durham, NC HBCU North Carolina Central University (NCCU), while USTA Southern added $12,000 and USTA North Carolina contributed $5,000. The national USTA grant is part of the US Open Legacy Initiative, created in celebration of Coco Gauff’s 2023 US Open women’s singles title. As part of the initiative, the USTA has pledged $3 million to refurbish tennis courts across the country.
The grant funds, which total $38,000, will help defray the cost of resurfacing the four on-campus tennis courts at the HBCU. In addition to being used by the NCCU varsity tennis teams, NCCU’s tennis program, as part of the USTA’s Community Hub initiative, has partnered with a number of local organizations to make the courts available to the public.
“We were extremely honored to be the first college to receive a Community Hub grant and we are especially delighted to be awarded a grant linked to Coco’s (Coco Gauff) success and the US Open Legacy Initiative,” said D. Curtis Lawson, NCCU’s head men’s tennis coach and director of tennis. “As I often say, we may not have 6, 8, or 12 courts yet, but I believe that we have the best four courts on the East Coast! I don’t say this fully in jest as our courts have hosted nationally ranked Division I opponents for regular season dual matches, USTA Adult League practices and matches, NJTL events, camps, and clinics and we were the first HBCU to be featured for a College Match Day dual match (NCCU hosted Howard University in 2014). We fully support the USTA’s mission, and we look forward to an active, longstanding partnership.”
“Investing in the improvement of tennis facilities, particularly public tennis facilities, is a critical piece of the USTA’s mission: Growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere,” said Lew Sherr, CEO, USTA. “The new US Open Legacy Initiative will ensure that Coco Gauff’s 2023 US Open victory will have a meaningful and lasting impact in communities across the country. I can think of no more fitting way to celebrate an American US Open champion than by completing the circle for the good of the game.”
“Investing in public parks and our youth is very important,” said Gauff. “I strongly believe that tennis can continue to become a more accessible sport, and I would like to thank the USTA for continuing to commit to do so.”
The US Open Legacy Initiative is part of the USTA’s overall efforts to support tennis infrastructure through facility enhancements and construction, which is led by the USTA’s Tennis Venue Services (TVS) department. Since 2005, the USTA has awarded more than $17 million in TVS grants, impacting more than 43,000 tennis courts and more than $610 million for infrastructure development.
In order to ensure that communities have access to safe, appealing, and functional tennis environments, grant recipients also receive start-to-finish project management assistance from the USTA’s Tennis Venue Services team. It provides industry-leading experience in tennis court and facility design, as well as technical assistance, including construction document review and business development insight, to ensure the facilities can deliver tennis at a high level. Completed projects will receive a sign commemorating that the courts were refurbished in honor of Gauff’s US Open victory.