The United Court Tennis Preservation Foundation (USCTPF) junior trip to the United Kingdom brought together seven young American court tennis players, aged 12–18, for an unforgettable week of court tennis, competition, travel, and cultural experiences.
The group was made up of five juniors from The Tuxedo Club — Paul Nieuwerburgh, Walt Laukitis, Kurt Mueller, Grady Haberkorn, and Bo Haberkorn — along with Elliot Philpott from Westwood Country Club and Jonah Serotta from the Racquet Club of Philadelphia.
The trip began with the group landing in London on Sunday evening before traveling south to Hayling Island, where they were based through Thursday. From there, the juniors visited four different court tennis courts, experienced some of England’s historic sights and traditions, and prepared for the Junior British Open.
Monday – Seacourt Tennis Club and Hayling Island
Monday began with a traditional English breakfast before the group headed to Seacourt Tennis Club. The juniors spent the day making the most of everything the club had to offer, trying their hand at various sports before settling in for three hours of court tennis.
After a full day of activity, the group continued their introduction to British cuisine with a classic fish and chips dinner. The evening was far from over, however. The boys headed down to Hayling Beach for a sunset walk, where they spent time playing in the water and enjoying the beach. A cricket match on the sandbank added another sporting challenge to the evening before everyone returned to Seacourt for yet more court tennis before bed.
Tuesday – Petworth House
Tuesday started with another breakfast before the group loaded into the minibus for the approximately 40-minute journey to Petworth House.
The juniors spent three hours on the historic Petworth court, adding another unique court to their growing list of experiences. While at Petworth, the boys had the opportunity to meet local professionals Tom Durack and Louis Gordon. A couple of the juniors also got an inside look at the traditional craft of court tennis by learning about and helping with the process of sewing tennis balls.
Rather than taking the most direct route home, the group took the scenic route through the English countryside back toward Hayling Island. After dinner, there was naturally time for more court tennis at Seacourt, continuing the theme of the trip: whenever there was an opportunity to play, the boys took it.
Wednesday – Wellington College
Wednesday brought an early start as the group set off for Wellington College. The early morning drive provided an opportunity for the boys to catch up on some much-needed sleep in the minibus before arriving at the school.
Once at Wellington, the juniors took to the court for several more hours of court tennis. The court quickly became a favorite among the group, with several of the boys declaring it their new favorite court of the trip. Its vibrant blue colour and consistent bounce made for an enjoyable and memorable day.
The group then returned to Hayling Island, where the juniors once again made full use of the facilities at Seacourt, playing more court tennis as well as some padel. By this point, the boys had already accumulated a tremendous amount of time on court while experiencing several of the UK’s most distinctive court tennis venues.
Thursday – Hampton Court Palace and London
Thursday brought another early start, this time with the group heading north toward London and one of the highlights of the trip: Hampton Court Palace.
Hampton Court is home to one of the oldest surviving court tennis courts in the world, making it a particularly significant stop for a group of young players traveling to the UK to experience the history and traditions of the game.
Lesley Ronaldson gave the group a fascinating tour of the palace before the boys stopped for lunch and took on another challenge — navigating the famous Palace Maze. After eventually finding their way out, the juniors headed onto the court for several more hours of court tennis, marking their fourth different court of the week.
Thursday evening saw the group move into central London, where they settled into an Airbnb for the next three nights. With the sightseeing portion of the trip largely complete, the focus now shifted toward competition as the boys prepared to compete in the Junior British Open.
Junior British Open
Six of the seven juniors competed in the Junior British Open, with Paul Nieuwerburgh unable to compete due to his age. The remaining six players competed across the Under-14, Under-16, and Under-18 age groups.
The tournament provided an opportunity for the juniors to put into practice everything they had experienced during the week. Having already played on four different courts, trained alongside British professionals, and spent countless hours on court, the boys entered the competition with a great deal of enthusiasm and confidence.
All six enjoyed a strong and competitive tournament. Four of the six American juniors successfully progressed through their groups, while two went on to reach their respective finals.
Kurt Mueller advanced to the Under-16 final, where he faced Max Warner. Kurt ultimately finished as runner-up after a hard-fought tournament.
In the Under-18 event, Jonah Serotta also reached the final, where he faced Warner once again. Jonah likewise finished runner-up to Max after an excellent run through the competition.
Warner was the No. 1 seed in both the Under-16 and Under-18 events, making Kurt and Jonah’s progress to the finals particularly impressive. Warner is also the No. 1 seed for the U19 Junior World Championships being held at Seacourt this week.
Looking Ahead – U19 Junior World Championships
The trip has also provided an excellent platform for the next stage of junior competition. Four of the American juniors from the trip — Kurt Mueller, Jonah Serotta, Paul Niewuerburgh, and Elliot Philpott — are now competing at the U19 Junior World Championships at Seacourt.
A Memorable Week for American Junior Court Tennis
Beyond the results on court, the trip was a tremendous opportunity for the seven juniors to experience the history, culture, and traditions of court tennis in the United Kingdom. From traditional breakfasts and fish and chips to cricket on the beach, exploring Petworth House and Hampton Court Palace, navigating the Palace Maze, and traveling through the English countryside, the trip offered experiences well beyond the court.
Most importantly, the week brought together young players from three different American clubs and gave them the chance to develop friendships, compete internationally, learn from experienced British players and professionals, and deepen their appreciation for the unique history of court tennis.
The combination of four historic courts, countless hours of play, the Junior British Open, and the ongoing U19 Junior World Championships made the trip an outstanding experience for the USCTPF juniors and an important step in the continued development of junior court tennis in the United States.
The boys would like to give a huge thank you to the USCTPF for making this trip possible.
