13 Florida tennis athletes win big at the 2023 ATA National Championships

The 2023 American Tennis Association (ATA) National Championships took center stage at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, creating an electrifying atmosphere filled with competitive spirit and tennis excellence. From July 24 to July 30, players from across the nation gathered at the venue to fight for the title of National Champion.

Founded in 1916, the ATA is the oldest African American Sports organization in the United States. For more than 100 years, the goal of the organization has been to drive diversity, inclusion, and equity in the game of tennis.  

The ATA has played a massive role in the development of tennis across the world as there have been numerous players, coaches, and contributors to the game that are part of the organization. In 1917, the ATA wanted to honor its great players and coaches by hosting their own National Championships. 

That first tournament saw just three events, but today, the championship now has five major events that take place over the course of the week. These include Junior L5 Singles and Doubles tournament; Junior 10U Circuit; Adult Age Group Tournament; Men’s/Women’s Open; and Adult NTRP. 

Above: Zaire Clarke from Greenacres, FL won the Girls’ 18s Singles Championships (Photo courtesy of USTA Florida)

The stage was set for a memorable tournament, with hundreds of players coming forms across North America and the Caribbean to compete. There was also a handful of Florida players that were in attendance, and they represented the state phenomenally over the week.

For Juniors, there are Boys’ and Girls’ 12s, 14s, 16s, and 18s Draws, while Adults have Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed 35 & Over Draws, going all the way up (in intervals of 5 ages) to 80 & Over. There are singles for all ages and doubles for every adult age group. 

Across all those divisions, Florida tennis shined with 13 winners, consisting of seven adults, with two winning multiple titles, and six juniors. There were also 13 finalists, making up of nine adults and four junior players.   

To view all the Florida-based winners and finalists from the ATA National Championships, check out the complete list on the USTA Florida website. To view photos from the event, check out the gallery on Facebook from USTA Florida.

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Written by: Jaret Kappelman, Marketing & Communications Coordinator for USTA Florida. Be sure to check out USTA Florida, the governing body of amateur tennis in Florida, offering tennis programs for all ages and ability levels.