June 2025

Dear Court Tennis Friend,

We hope you are having a great year and court tennis season.

We are writing to provide an update on the USCTA’s National Fund and to ask for your support.

The National Fund was created to provide additional support for the professional game in the U.S.  Funds are used to supplement tournament purses for the U.S. Open, U.S. Professional Singles playing for the Schochet Cup, Ladies’ Open, National Open, and the USCTA National League.  It also helps with other items such as streaming for some of these events.

Professionals are the lifeblood of our sport, and our small community needs to do all it can to support them.  Think of the first time you saw the game played at its highest level or how professionals have taught you over the years.  They are central to almost all aspects of the game whether it be making balls, stringing racquets, running pro shops, serving on committees, teaching players of all levels, explaining strategy, and inspiring us with mastery of a difficult craft.

After factoring in travel expenses, foregone lessons, and used vacation days; a professional sometimes loses money after an early round loss at a tournament.  Even those who do well in a tournament are not being compensated commensurate with the effort and dedication they put into their craft.  Healthy tournament purses provide important supplemental income and encourage players to enter the profession – both of which are very much needed.  The National Fund has played a helpful role by increasing tournament purses for all competing professionals.

The National Fund program is comprised of three parts – Sponsors, Lot 12, and an Annual Appeal.  Sponsorships are pledges fulfilled over a three-year period.  Lot 12 is a paddle raise at the USCTA Annual Dinner & Auction.  The Annual Appeal is this letter and is the third prong of support.

Our goal for this year’s Annual Appeal is $15,000.  We hope you will be able to make a contribution.   Many of you currently support tournaments and other efforts at your home clubs and for that we are grateful.  However, with broad based support from USCTA members, we hope to grow the National Fund and continue our support of professionals.

Contributions will go towards tournaments played in the 2025/2026 season.  Please note that contributions to the USCTA and to the National Fund are not tax deductible.

Contributions can be made in two ways:

By credit card or PayPal:

By check:
Payable to “USCTA” with National Fund noted on the memo line and sent to Charlie Katz, Treasurer, USCTA, c/o Westwood Country Club, 800 Maple Avenue East, Vienna, VA 22180.

Thank you in advance for your support.  Please reach out to any of us if you have questions or need more information.

Best wishes for the summer.

Sincerely,

Dave Christensen                                          Theodore Goneos

Adam Inselbuch                                            Charlie Katz

Jeremy Wintersteen