Event today at USTA National Campus celebrates tennis — the world's healthiest sport

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) recently announced that AdventHealth will join Nemours Children’s Health as the Official Medical Services Providers of the USTA National Campus. AdventHealth is joining as a new partner, while Nemours has been a partner with the USTA National Campus since the Lake Nona facility opened in 2017.

The partnership will kick off this weekend when the three organizations come together to host a free community day at the USTA National Campus to celebrate National Tennis Month, which takes place across the country throughout the month of May. The event will feature tennis programming, a health and wellness zone, and other interactive activities and giveaways. The event takes place today from 1:30-4:30.

“The USTA’s mission is to grow tennis to inspire healthier people and communities and we are excited to launch a partnership with AdventHealth at the USTA National Campus, and grow our existing relationship with Nemours, to continue that mission right here in Central Florida,” said Lew Sherr, CEO and Executive Director, USTA.  “The health and safety of the players and guests at the USTA National Campus is our number one priority and we feel confident that they will receive world-class medical service from both of these outstanding organizations."

Above: USTA CEO and Executive Director Lew Sherr explains the astounding health benefits of playing tennis. Video footage courtesy of USTA. Photo credit (thumbnail): Chino Rocha via Unsplash.

As part of the partnership, AdventHealth and Nemours will jointly oversee all medical services at the USTA National Campus, while also providing athletic medicine, athletic training and other health support for elite American athletes while they are training at the National Campus. Both partners will be prominently featured throughout the USTA National Campus and will collaborate with the USTA National Campus to promote the health benefits of tennis throughout the community.

“We are pleased to be bringing our unique brand of whole-person care, and our world-class sports-medicine expertise, to the athletes at the USTA National Campus,” said Doug Harcombe, CEO of AdventHealth Lake Nona, which is currently under construction. “This is an important element of our commitment to care for this community, by bringing a state-of-the-art facility built on innovation, technology and wellness to Lake Nona in 2026.”

“Nemours Children’s Health has partnered with USTA since 2017, when they opened the Lake Nona facility, and are proud to continue that partnership while welcoming AdventHealth to the National Campus medical care team”, said Martha McGill, BSN, MBA, MHA, President of the Central Florida Region for Nemours Children’s Health. “This partnership gives us the opportunity to help local youth stay healthy and active while introducing them to a new sport, as well as doing what we do best – providing the best possible medical care.”

From left to right: USTA CEO and Executive Director, Lew Sherr (center) poses for a photo with Martha McGill (left), President, Central Florida for Nemours Children's Health and Sharon Almeida (right), COO of AdventHealth Lake Nona. Photo credit: Madeline Doherty / USTA.

Additionally, AdventHealth and the USTA will partner to bring the health benefits of tennis to the Orlando community, with an emphasis on women, seniors and the developmentally disabled. This will include pop-up tennis events and other programming targeting underserved and vulnerable communities with the goal of improving health and wellness through tennis.

On site at the National Campus, Nemours will retain naming rights of the facility’s “Family Zone,” which features youth courts that focus on entry-level play, as well as acquire naming rights for the Player Development Lodge, utilized by visiting junior players. Meanwhile, AdventHealth will create an immersive experience zone focused on health and wellness.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Daryl Osbahr will serve as AdventHealth co-medical director for the USTA National Campus. “Our whole-athlete care model has been shown to benefit everyone from professionals to weekend warriors,” Osbahr said. “We are excited to provide on-site care and support for athletes of all levels at the USTA National Campus.”

“We welcome AdventHealth and look forward to this continued partnership with USTA,” said John Lovejoy, MD, Chair of Orthopedics, Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida. “Nemours Children’s Health is committed to creating the healthiest generations of children, and we are taking that commitment well beyond medicine through our continued work with the USTA.”

Multiple studies have found that tennis is the “healthiest sport in the world” adding some 9.7 years to tennis players’ lives when compared to the lives of sedentary individuals, more longevity than other sports such as soccer, jogging and swimming provide. Additionally, playing tennis can lower the risk of heart disease by up to 50%, and improve balance, mental acuity, speed and sense of social connection, showing that getting out on the tennis court can improve your quality of life in many ways.

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Source: USTA. Top photo: Representatives from the USTA, AdventHealth and Nemours Children's Health participate in a celebratory "First Serve" to celebrate the announcement that AdventHealth will join Nemours Children’s Health as the Official Medical Services Providers of the USTA National Campus. (L-R): John Lovejoy, MD, Chair of Orthopedics, Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida; Martha McGill, President, Central Florida, Nemours Children's Health; Lew Sherr, CEO and Executive Director, USTA; Sharon Almeida, COO of AdventHealth Lake Nona; Daryl C. Osbahr, MD, Chief of Orthopedic Surgery and Managing Partner for Rothman Orthopaedic Institute – Florida. Photo credit: Madeline Doherty / USTA.