USCTA | 2025 USCTA Annual Awards Dinner

by James Zug

In mid-December 2025, the Racquet & Tennis Club hosted the twenty-eighth annual United States Court Tennis Association dinner and auction during the traditional Whitney Cup weekend.

Over two hundred people came to the dinner. It was ably chaired again by Ted Goneos and Ben Lawrence; they both wrangled auction lots, helped set up the east and south lounges, donated wine and reached out to USCTA members across the country. The club, led by Robert Gressler, again hosted the gathering with aplomb. Charlie Katz, the USCTA treasurer, smoothly handled the check-in desk and chased down payments.

A splendid cocktail hour was the launch of the evening. There was an international flavor to the evening, with many guests from England and Australia, including former Bathurst player James Acheson-Gray and the current world’s top amateur Rob Shenkman. As usual, there were a perfect panoply of silent auction items: a number of rare books donated by Adam Inselbuch; USCTA tote bags donated by Hudson Sutler; prints of a sculpture by George Petrides; a copy of Charles Johnstone’s new book on Eton Fives; world championship photographs by Tim Edwards; Freddy Adam’s photographs of Lord’s and Hatfield House; a wine lot donated by Guy Devereaux; and pheasant shooting in the Hudson Valley donated by Browning Platt.

Dinner was in the south lounge. It featured salmon for an appetizer, roasted chicken with champagne sauce and chocolate fudge cake for dessert. Peter Pell, the Whitney Cup tournament chair, welcomed everyone to New York for the ninety-first Payne Whitney Memorial Intercity Tennis Doubles Cup. As was traditional, Pell welcomed the new players to the Whitney Cup: Stathi Kryiakides (New England), Mike O’Connor (New England), Tarquin Sotir (New England), William Spruance (New York), Dan Sternberg (Washington), Jack Turchetta (Greentree), Tim Welles (New York) and Spencer Yager (Philadelphia).

Dacre Stoker, the president of the USCTA, emceed the evening. He asked for a moment of silence in honor of the members of the game who had died since the last annual dinner: John Archbold, Charlie Crawford, Lucien Forbes, Sidney Gorham, Henry Mortimer, Ivan Ronaldson, Mary Stevens and David Walsh.

Noting that the USCTA was founded seventy years ago, Stoker said: “As we gather tonight on our 70th anniversary, may we pause to reflect with gratitude and pride on a remarkable journey that began in 1955, when a small group of dedicated enthusiasts convened, here at the Racquet & Tennis Club to establish our national governing body. From those early days, through decades of preserving historic courts, nurturing new ones, and fostering the world’s most intricate, complex and elegant racquet sport, we have kept alive a tradition that stretches back centuries. Court tennis is more than a game; it is a living heritage, a blend of strategy, athleticism, and artistry that demands both mind and body. Our unique game is one that can be enjoyed with the same degree of competitiveness for all ages and abilities yet remains more difficult to explain to a newcomer than to master. Over these seven decades our association, along with the Preservation Foundation, has assisted the growth and preservation of courts, developed players, hosted unforgettable tournaments, and welcomed generations into this exclusive circle. We have seen champions rise, friendships forged across oceans, all while striving for the quiet satisfaction of a perfectly struck chase. As we celebrate this milestone, and recognize our esteemed award winners, I am reminded of the wisdom in the old saying: An organization grows great when old men and women plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit. Our founders—William Van Alen and those who joined him—planted those trees knowing they would not enjoy their shade, as we now do. They built structures, rules, and a community that would long outlast them, ensuring that future players would inherit a thriving sport.”

Stoker thanked the former USCTA presidents in the room—Charlie Johnstone, Bill McLaughlin, Greg Van Schaack, Jeremy Wintersteen and Jim Zug—as well as current members of the Board of Governors, chairs of committees and the executive committee that consists of vice presidents Jonathan Lewis and Rahul Vinnakota, membership chair Zack Sacks, treasurer Charlie Katz and secretary Tyler Thompson. He noted the cohort of professionals in attendance: Pete Dickinson, Josh Dodgson, Tony Hollins, Nick Howell, Adrian Kemp, John Lumley, Camden Riviere, Josh Smith, Barney Tanfield, Ben Taylor-Matthews, Max Trueman, Rob Whitehouse and Steve Virgona; and two fellows, Kenny Huang and Lydia Compton-Burnett.

Bill McLaughlin, the chair of the U.S. Court Tennis Preservation Foundation, introduced Buddy Darby to the gathering. Darby is the leader of the new court tennis, squash and padel facility in Charleston. He spoke eloquently about the new club, thanking Greg Van Schaack for his vision in starting the project and promising an opening date of 15 October 2026.

Kenny Huang also spoke. Huang, having learned the game in 2024 at Falkland Palace while a student at St. Andrews, is a Thomas Pettitt Fellow. He is spending a year as an apprentice in Washington, New York and Philadelphia.

Stoker honored Camden Riviere. The South Carolinian won his fourth World Championship in singles in a riveting match at Newport in September. He has now won thirty-two Open singles (including two calendar Grand Slams); in doubles, he has captured thirty-three Open titles and five World Doubles championships.

During dinner, Stoker announced the winners of the Association’s annual awards. He noted that in September the Association had awarded the George Plimpton Prize for literary and artistic excellence to Tim Edwards, the game’s leading photographer.

The Association’s highest annual award, the Edward J. Hughes & John E. Slater Award, was given to Arthur Drane by his friend and former USCTA treasurer Ken Forton. Drane has lent a guiding hand in Boston for decades. He was the chair of the tennis committee at the Tennis & Racquet Club, the chair of the U.S. Open host committees at the T&R, the leader of the T&R’s pro shop merchandise initiative, the chair of the USCTA’s Scheduling Committee and the captain of the T&R’s Patriot Cup team. Drane was a longtime member of the Board of Governors of the USCTA and is currently the Boston representative on the Club Representative Council. He is also famous for steadfastly sitting in dedans watching matches throughout tournaments.

Tony Hollins was the winner of the 2025 Professional of the Year Award. Given out to a pro for outstanding accomplishments and service off the court, the award went to Hollins. the head professional at Newport. Hollins hosted two brilliantly run world championships this summer, as well as leading the revival of the game at the storied Rhode Island club and helming the Association’s unified ball project. This winter Hollins will return to Boston and become the general manager of the Tennis & Racquet Club. The USCTA doubled the honorarium for the award, further demonstrating its commitment to lifting up the work of the lifeblood of the game, the teaching professionals.

Bill McLaughlin gave the 2025 H. Dickson S. Boenning Award for sportsmanship to Jules Zacher. Based in Philadelphia, Zacher has been an avid player and supporter for a half century. He is currently serving the game as the liaison with Georgian Court University. He is noted for his courtesy, fair play and fellowship on and off the court.

The 2025 Grassi Family Junior of the Year Award was given by Jane Lippincott to Jonah Serrota. He is a fifteen-year-old sophomore at Penn Charter and plays at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia. His speech—funny and precocious—was a highlight of the dinner. Serotta won the U19s, U17s and U15s this year, as well as the U17s at the French National Juniors. Serotta’s handicap improved from a 70 eighteen months ago to a 59 a year ago to today where it is at 26.

John Lumley handed the 2025 Robert M. Goodyear Award to Sydney & Jon Crowell. Perennially generous and accustomed to a house full of guests, the Crowells have been a mainstay of hosting in Philadelphia for years. “Their living room is a second clubhouse,” said Lumley. Their guestbook is filled with names of friends and fellows who get to stay in their so-called corporate suite for a weekend or a month.

Tony Hollins gave the 2025 Most Improved Player Award went to Stathi Kyriakides. Playing in Newport, Kyriakides recorded eighty-four matches in the past year, with his handicap plummeting from a 57 to a 37.

The most special part of the evening was the awarding of the Ivan Ronaldson Most Improved Junior Award. After the sudden death in August of Ronaldson, the longtime Washington pro, the USCTA named the annual award for most improved junior after him. Vern Cassin introduced the award, showing videos of Ronaldson giving lessons to his children. “He was a very happy man but no happier than when he was teaching tennis to a junior,” said Cassin. “He coached both four year-olds and four-handicappers, both with great joy.”

Ronaldson’s widow, Christy Ronaldson, then movingly accepted the award on behalf of Washington juniors. “Ivan loved opening doors for juniors,” she said. “This will provide special inspiration for all young players, including our two children, Lily and Bruce, as they grow up and find their place in the game that their father loved so dearly. Ivan showed that heart and resilience are always more important than perfection.”

Brook Hazelton served as auctioneer for the Association’s auction. Outstanding lots included golf at Baltusrol (donated by Peter Kapsimalis), Maidstone (Jay Wheatley), Mid Ocean (Rahul Vinnakota), Newport (Parker Brickley), Palmetto (Jason Mcalhaney), Piping Rock (John Beam), Shoreacres (Matt Denison) and The Country Club (Ben Stein); and a week in Crested Butte (Dan and Lisa Laukitis), fly fishing in the Poconos (Matthew Dupree) and a three sport day at the Racquet Club of Chicago (Adam Inselbuch). In addition, Lot 12, the paddle raise for the USCTA’s National Fund for professionals, was extremely popular.

Because of Hazelton’s professional abilities and the exceptional quality of the lots, the auctions raised more than $120,000, the most successful auction in the twenty-eight years of the Annual Dinner.

Morris Clothier, the president of the Racquet & Tennis Club, then inducted Julian Snow into the International Court Tennis Hall of Fame. Clothier introduced a video taken by Wayne Davies, the former world champion, who was speaking from Ballarat, Australia. One of greatest amateur players in tennis history, Julian Snow won the U.S. Open singles in 1996 and 1997 and the U.S. Open doubles in 1992 and 1993 (with Rob Fahey), 1996 and 2000 (with Nick Wood) and 1997 and 1999 (with James Male); the U.S. amateur singles in 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 and the U.S. amateur doubles in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 (with Ralph Howe). An Englishman who first learned tennis at Oxford while a student at Radley College, Snow had a distinctive floor game that made him almost unbeatable worldwide. He captured a record nineteen British amateur singles titles, pulled off a career Grand Slam in Open singles and doubles tournaments (the only amateur to do so), played on an extraordinary fourteen winning Bathurst Cup teams and took the inaugural World Doubles in 2001 (with Tim Chisholm). He played in the 1998 Challenge for the World Championship against Fahey in Melbourne, losing 7-4.

Snow then gave a riveting acceptance speech. He joked that it was a pleasure to hear from Davies, as it was from 10,000 miles away and through gritted teeth—Davies only tournament loss in his career in New York was in the finals of the 1996 U.S. Open to Snow. Snow said he has been especially pleased to see how the game has grown in the U.S. since that tournament almost thirty years ago. Back then seven of the world’s top fifty players were based in the U.S.; today it is seven of the top ten. “Court tennis is the ultimate minor sport,” declared Snow, the last amateur to win an Open singles title, at the 1998 British Open. “There are no academies in Florida where teenagers go and train. So the amateur ethic is still there, and I hope soon another amateur will win an Open.”

The induction of Snow means the International Court Tennis Hall of Fame now has forty members.

Award Winners

For more photos from the evening and photos from Friday’s Whitney Cup action, scroll down!

Photo Credits – Marco Calderon

Hughes Slater Award – Arthur Drane with Ken Forton
Goodyear Award – Jon and Sydney Crowell with John Lumley
Pro of the Year – Tony Hollins
Most Improved Player – Stathi Kyriakides with Tony Hollins
Grassi Family Junior Player of the Year – Jonah Serotta with Henry Smith, Ellie Grassi, Jane Lippincott & John Lumley
2025 Ivan Ronaldson Most Improved Junior Player – Accepting the Award for the Westwood Juniors – Christy Ronaldson & Matty Ronladson
2025 Hall Of Fame – Julian Snow with Dacre Stoker & Jim Zug
Ivan Ronaldson, Player Development’s first Junior Coordinator, introduced countless players to the world of court tennis. In fitting tribute to his lasting impact, the USCTA renamed the Most Improved Junior Player Award in his honor.