Best American Juniors Coming to Delray Beach for USTA Boys’ 18s & 16s National Clay Court Championships
Jun 30, 2026
The tournament that helped shape the games of many of America's biggest tennis stars is back in South Florida for its 59th anniversary. From July 5–12, the nation's top junior boys will compete in the USTA National Boys' 18s & 16s Clay Court Championships, hosted by the City of Delray Beach.
Ten years after winning the USTA National Boys' 18s Clay Court title, Sebastian Korda captured the 2026 Delray Beach Open ATP 250 championship, becoming the latest example of a player who developed through these prestigious USTA junior championships before reaching success on the professional tour.
Top American stars including Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul have all competed in the Delray Beach junior clay court championships. Paul, a four-time national clay court champion (2013 Boys' 16s singles & doubles; 2014 Boys' 18s singles & doubles), claimed his first ATP clay-court title earlier this year in Houston. Shelton won the Munich title in April, becoming the first American man to capture a clay-court title above the ATP 250 level since Andre Agassi won Rome in 2002.
More than 400 junior players will compete during the weeklong USTA Level 1 event, featuring:
- 192 players in each singles draw (16s & 18s)
- 96 doubles teams in each division
In addition to earning the prestigious USTA Gold Ball, the Boys' 18s singles champion will receive a wildcard into the Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship, while the Boys' 16s champion will earn a wildcard into the Junior ITF J100 Boca Raton.
Throughout the tournament, approximately 950 matches will be played using more than 3,000 tennis balls across over 100 clay courts serving as both match and practice venues.
Two highlight shows—one for the Boys' 18s event and one for the Boys' 16s event—will be produced for later broadcast on the Tennis Channel Plus app.
Tournament Venues
The championships will be held at five venues, with the Delray Beach Tennis Center—home of the ATP Tour's Delray Beach Open—hosting all matches during the final three days, including both championship finals.
Matches begin daily at 8:15 a.m.
Admission is free.
Boys' 18s
- Delray Beach Tennis Center: July 5–12 (Championship Matches: July 12)
- Boca Raton Racquet Center: July 5–10
Boys' 16s
- Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center: July 5–9
- The Country Club at Mirasol: July 5–8
- Delray Beach Tennis Center: July 10–12 (Championship Matches: July 12)
The tournament draws and daily schedule will be available online. For more information, visit DelrayBeachOpen.com/usta-nationalclays.
Special Awards
Baptist Health will provide medical services throughout the event and sponsor the daily Boys' 18s Player of the Day award.
The City of Delray Beach will sponsor the daily Boys' 16s Player of the Day.
The Boys' 16s & 18s Sportsmanship Award will once again be presented in honor of Jeff Rothstein, one of the most respected USTA referees, who passed away in 2023.
Notable Past Champions
The Boys' 18s singles champions list features many future professional stars, including:
- Harold Solomon (1970)
- Vitas Gerulaitis (1972)
- John McEnroe (1975 Boys' 16s Singles & Doubles; 1976 Boys' 18s Singles & Doubles)
- Aaron Krickstein (1983)
- Luke Jensen (1984)
- Jay Berger (1985)
- David Wheaton (1987)
- Bob Bryan (1996 Singles & Doubles with Mike Bryan)
- James Blake (1997)
- Jack Sock (2009 Singles & Doubles)
- Bjorn Fratangelo (2009 Boys' 16s; 2010 Boys' 18s)
- Tommy Paul (2013 Boys' 16s Singles & Doubles; 2014 Boys' 18s Singles & Doubles)
- Sebastian Korda (2016 Boys' 18s Singles)
Tournament Director Ivan Baron also captured the Boys' 16s doubles title in 1988.
Event Sponsors & Partners
Host City
- City of Delray Beach
County & Sports Commission Sponsors
- Palm Beach County Sports Commission
- Discover The Palm Beaches
Official Partners
- Baptist Health (Official Medical Partner)
- United States Tennis Association (Sanctioning Body)
- Players International Management (Organizer)
- Tennis Channel Plus (TV Partner)
- Wilson (Official Ball)
- Dwight Global Online School
Official Hotels
- Hampton Inn Delray Beach
- Wyndham Boca Raton
- Marriott Palm Beach Gardens
- Hilton Garden Inn Palm Beach Gardens
Match Venues
- Delray Beach Tennis Center
- Boca Raton Racquet Center
- Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center
- The Country Club at Mirasol
Practice Facilities
- Broken Sound Country Club
- Delray Swim & Tennis Club
- One Tennis Academy
- Boynton Beach Tennis Center
- PGA National Sports & Racquet Club
Additional Sponsors
- Florida Sports Foundation
- MatchSet
- Mobile Nurses IV
About the City of Delray Beach
Delray Beach is one of Florida's premier beach destinations, known for its beautiful shoreline, vibrant Atlantic Avenue, art galleries, boutique shopping, and award-winning restaurants. Visitors are encouraged to enjoy everything the city has to offer while attending the championships.
About Baptist Health
As the Official Healthcare Partner of the USTA National Clay Court Championships, Baptist Health will provide medical services throughout the tournament. Baptist Health is the largest not-for-profit healthcare organization in South Florida, operating 12 hospitals, more than 200 outpatient centers, and employing over 26,000 team members and 4,000 physicians across Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties.
"Baptist Health is proud to be a Diamond Sponsor for the 59th anniversary of the USTA Boys' 18 & 16 National Clay Court Championships. Best of luck to all players competing!"
About the Palm Beach County Sports Commission
The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to attracting sporting events that generate economic impact, increase tourism, and maximize the use of sports facilities throughout Palm Beach County.
About Dwight Global Online School
Ranked the No. 1 online school in the United States by Niche.com for student-athletes in grades 6–12, Dwight Global Online School provides flexible, personalized education that allows elite junior athletes to balance academics with high-level competition.
About MatchSet
MatchSet Racquet Sports & Lifestyle is a specialty retailer offering premium equipment, apparel, shoes, and accessories for tennis, pickleball, and padel. Located in downtown Boca Raton, MatchSet is also known for its expert racquet stringing, customization, and exceptional customer service.
About Mobile Nurses IV
Mobile Nurses IV delivers personalized, high-quality IV therapy directly to patients in the comfort of their home or preferred location, offering a convenient solution for a variety of wellness and recovery needs.
About the Florida Sports Foundation
The Florida Sports Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Florida communities attract, host, and retain sporting events that create significant economic impact while promoting sports tourism throughout the state.