TEAM USA American Tennis Working Together 149822_USTA_BroV2.indd 1 8/19/14 12:48 PM American Tennis and “TEAM USA” At the beginning of the year, I began to travel across the country, joined by members of the USTA Player Development Team, to get feedback and input from developmental coaches, college coaches and USTA Section leadership in order to begin implementing our TEAM USA concept. The TEAM USA initiative is an effort to further create and implement a structure that includes personal coaches, USTA Sections and USTA Player Development working closer together to help create the next wave of world- class American players. Our vision is to be even more inclusive, collaborative and supportive, so that promising young players from all over the country will have the best chance to maximize their potential. Our visits began this year as forums, for top teachers and coaches to share ideas for success. They are also designed to lead to more training opportunities and recognition, for both players and coaches alike. So far, we have made visits to nine Sections, from New York to Florida to the Midwest to California, connecting with some of the best coaches and tennis minds in the United States. I feel it has been a great process already, and I expect these visits to continue as standard procedure for USTA Player Development. We all want American tennis to be successful. None of us can do it alone. Working together is one of the most important things we can do to ensure the success of American tennis in the years to come. The TEAM USA concept hopes to help us accomplish exactly that. Sincerely, Patrick McEnroe General Manager, USTA Player Development 149822_USTA_BroV2.indd 2 8/19/14 12:48 PM The Players Whether historic or personal, a number of young Americans have achieved milestones in 2014, shining a light on the bright future of American tennis. When 19-year old Madison Keys and 22-year old CoCo Vandeweghe each won their first WTA tour singles titles on June 21, it marked the first time in more than 12 years that two American women had won WTA singles titles in the same week. When 21-year old Jack Sock and Canada’s Vasek Pospisil defeated the top-seeded Bryan brothers to win the 2014 Wimbledon men’s doubles championship, Sock became the third-youngest man in the Open Era – after John McEnroe and Todd Woodbridge – to win both a Grand Slam doubles and mixed doubles title. When 18-year old Noah Rubin and 16-year old Stefan Kozlov took the court for the Wimbledon boys’ singles final, it was the first time since 1977 that two Americans were playing for the Wimbledon boys’ championship. On the following pages, find information on many of these up-and-coming players, ages 25 and younger, to keep an eye on in the coming years: Men page Women page Collin Altamirano 4 CiCi Bellis 7 Jared Donaldson 4 Tornado Alicia Black 7 Mitchell Frank 3 Madison Brengle 6 Bjorn Fratangelo 3 Louisa Chirico 7 Taylor Fritz 4 Samantha Crawford 7 Marcos Giron 3 Lauren Davis 5 Ryan Harrison 2 Victoria Duval 6 Jarmere Jenkins 2 Nicole Gibbs 6 Steve Johnson 2 Jamie Hampton 6 Stefan Kozlov 3 Madison Keys 6 Bradley Klahn 2 Allie Kiick 7 Denis Kudla 2 Jamie Loeb 7 Mackenzie McDonald 4 Christina McHale 5 Michael Mmoh 4 Grace Min 5 Dennis Novikov 3 Melanie Oudin 6 Reilly Opelka 4 Alison Riske 5 Tommy Paul 4 Shelby Rogers 5 Jack Sock 2 Sloane Stephens 5 Noah Rubin 3 Katerina Stewart 7 Alex Rybakov 4 Taylor Townsend 6 Francis Tiafoe 3 CoCo Vandeweghe 5 Donald Young 2 Sachia Vickery 7 149822_USTA_BroV2.indd 3 8/19/14 12:48 PM DONALD YOUNG DOB: July 23, 1989 Hometown: Chicago Coaches: Donald Young, Sr., Ilona Young, Craig Boynton • 2012 London Olympian; made U.S. Davis Cup Team debut in January, against Great Britain’s Andy Murray. • Former world No. 38 who reached the third round of the French Open and Australian Open in 2014, as well as the semifinals of the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., this summer. • Once the world No.1 junior who won junior Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon (2007) and the Australian Open (2005). JACK SOCK DOB: Sept. 24, 1992 Hometown: Lincoln, Neb. Coach: Mike Wolf • 2014 Wimbledon doubles champion and 2011 US Open mixed doubles champion – the third-youngest player in the Open Era to win both such Grand Slam titles, after John McEnroe and Todd Woodbridge. 20somethings • Advanced to consecutive ATP semifinals this year, in Newport, R.I., and Atlanta. • 2010 US Open Junior Champion. STEVE JOHNSON DOB: Dec. 24, 1989 Hometown: Orange, Calif. Coaches: Craig Boynton, Stephen Amritraj • Advanced to first ATP semifinal this year, in Delray Beach, Fla.; also won two Challenger titles. • One of the greatest college tennis players of all time: won consecutive NCAA singles titles in 2011-12, led the Trojans to four straight team titles (2009-12) and finished his college career having won 72 straight matches. BRADLEY KLAHN DOB: Aug. 20, 1990 Hometown: Poway, Calif. Coaches: Lee Merry, Christian Groh, Stanford Boster • Reached a career-high No. 63 this spring after winning back-to-back Challenger titles (becoming, at the time, the No. 2-ranked American behind John Isner). • Won the 2010 NCAA singles title as a sophomore at Stanford. • The US Open’s first men’s qualifying wild card to make the main draw and win a match (2012, d. Jurgen Melzer). DENIS KUDLA DOB: Aug. 17, 1992 Hometown: Arlington, Va. Coach: Diego Moyano • Won four Challenger titles since 2012, one in 2014 (Winnetka, Ill.). • Qualified for both Wimbledon and the Australian Open in 2014. • 2010 US Open junior runner-up, to Jack Sock, in the first all-American boys’ final since 2000 (Andy Roddick d. Robby Ginepri). RYAN HARRISON DOB: May 7, 1992 Hometown: Shreveport, La. Coach: Pat Harrison • 2012 London Olympian. • Owns six ATP World Tour singles semifinal appearances and two doubles titles. • In 2010, became the first American teenager to beat at Top 20 opponent in a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick in 2001. JARMERE JENKINS DOB: Nov. 25, 1990 Hometown: College Park, Ga. Coach: USTA Player Development • The Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Player of the Year in 2013 as a senior at Virginia; nearly won the NCAA “triple crown,” winning the doubles and team titles and reaching the singles final. • Comes from a large, tennis-playing family; he has eight siblings, including two brothers also played Division I college tennis. 2 149822_USTA_BroV2.indd 4 8/19/14 12:48 PM BJORN FRATANGELO DOB: July 19, 1993 Hometown: Pittsburgh Coach: Stanford Boster, Mario Frantangelo • 2011 French Open boys’ singles champion, the first American to win that title since John McEnroe in 1977. • Named after tennis legend Bjorn Borg. • Won his fourth, fifth and sixth pro circuit singles titles this spring and summer after being sidelined with a foot injury to begin 2014. MARCOS GIRON DOB: July 24, 1993 Hometown: Thousand Oaks, Calif. Coach: Amir Marandy • The 2014 NCAA singles champion (receiving a wild card into the US Open) and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s 2014 Player of the Year; a USTA Collegiate Team member. • Won his third USTA Pro Circuit $10,000 Futures title in March; turned pro this summer DENNIS NOVIKOV DOB: Nov. 6, 1993 Hometown: San Jose, Calif. Coach: Vladimir Novikov • The 2012 USTA Boys’ 18s National Champion who beat 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz in the first round of that year’s US Open. • Former standout at UCLA; won his second and third Futures titles on the pro circuit in 2014. MITCHELL FRANK DOB: Oct. 16, 1992 Hometown: Annandale, Va. Coach: Vesa Ponkka, Vinh Do, Brian Boland (University of Virginia) • 2014 Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American champion as junior at Virginia; two-time ITA All-American and No. 1-ranked singles player as a freshman. • USTA Collegiate Team member; won his first pro circuit Futures title this July. • Former world No. 5 junior. NOAH RUBIN DOB: Feb. 21, 1996 Hometown: Rockville Centre, N.Y. Coach: Eric Rubin, Lawrence Kleger • The 2014 Wimbledon boys’ singles champion, defeating Stefan Kozlov in the first all-American Wimbledon boys’ final since 1977. teens • Protégé of John McEnroe’s at his Randalls Island, N.Y., academy; will attend Wake Forest University in the fall STEFAN KOZLOV DOB: Feb. 1, 1998 Hometown: Pembroke Pines, Fla. Coach: Andrei Kozlov; Nicolas Todero • A 2014 Wimbledon and Australian Open boys’ singles finalist, playing in first all-American Wimbledon boys’ final since 1977; 2013 Orange Bowl singles finalist. • Ranked No. 2 in the world among juniors twice this year. FRANCIS TIAFOE DOB: Jan. 20, 1998 Hometown: College Park, Md. Coach: Misha Kouznetsov • 2013 Orange Bowl Boys’ 18s champion, the youngest to ever win the event; 2014 Easter Bowl Champion; ranked as high as No. 2 in the world among juniors (18 and under). • Unique upbringing contributed to tennis success – his father, Francis Sr., was the maintenance man at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Md., and Francis sometimes slept there, overnight, in his father’s office. 3 149822_USTA_BroV2.indd 5 8/19/14 12:48 PM MICHAEL MMOH DOB: Jan. 10, 1998 Hometown: Temple Hills, Md. Coach: Glenn Weiner • Ranked as high as No. 8 in the world among juniors; reached the third round of junior singles at Wimbledon and the French Open this year. • Son of former touring pro and Nigerian Olympian Tony Mmoh; born in Saudi Arabia. TAYLOR FRITZ DOB: Oct. 29, 1997 Hometown: Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Coach: Guy Fritz • 2014 Wimbledon boys’ singles semifinalist.