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A special thank you!

We're incredibly proud of this issue — none of it would've been possible without the support of our amazing advertising partners: Tennis Plaza, USTA Florida, Delray Beach Open, Evert Tennis Academy, Lucky in Love, Sofibella, Rick Macci Tennis Academy, USP, Boca Cryo, Cruise Control Gear, Nature's Rite, David Ensignia Tennis Academy, Delray Beach Tennis Center, College Exposure Camps, HITT at Sunrise Tennis Club, Youth Tennis Foundation of Florida, Nunez Tennis Training, Adidas Pickleball / All Racquet Sports USA, Gino Fava, Renew with Paula, Junior Orange Bowl, Emilio Sanchez Academy, Kozlov Tennis Academy, Limitless Tennis Center of Excellence, The Club at Ibis, and The One Cowork.

What's inside?

The November-December 2023 issue of Florida Tennis looks back at the the US Open this year. On my trip up to Flushing Meadows, I shadowed Florida Tennis Founder and Editor Jim Martz all over the US Open grounds to learn the ropes. Much of what appears in this issue recaps our experience.

Martz recaps the players who went deep at this year's American major. He also profiles an up-and-coming junior, Akasha Urhobo, who played her maiden US Open junior matches. Martz also reflects on Venus Williams' tough first round loss at the US Open and provides some insights courtesy of Rick Macci.

I was so thrilled to watch Stan Wawrinka (aka "Stan the Man") at the US Open this year with fellow Florida Tennis contributor and photographer Todd Pechter. We featured a special story, Anatomy of a Backhand, to dissect the stunning stoke from the 38-year old Swiss maestro. 

Meanwhile, Florida-based star Coco Gauff became US Open champion this year. For our cover story, Martz digs deeps into Gauff's roots right here in Delray Beach. 

Dave "Koz" Kozlowski also tells the story of "Athletes without Limits" at this year's US Open. And we're honored to have six pages of informative news from USTA Florida highlighting their work with wounded warriors and Veterans, women in tennis, a call for more coaches, updates on adult leagues, and outstanding facility award winners being honored in the sunshine state.

We're also excited to preview the Delray Beach Open which is slated to have some big names this year including last year's champ, Taylor Fritz, and rising American star (hailing from Boca Raton) Tommy Paul. We also get a chance to recap three collegiate tournaments here in Florida sponsored by the Youth Tennis Foundation.

We reveal the stunning success story of Alana Sherman from the USP College Tennis Showcase. This event will be taking place soon (November 29-30) at the Emilio Sanchez Academy and typically averages around 100 college coaches looking for the best junior players for their college tennis programs. 

In addition, we take a moment to highlight the Emilio Sanchez Academy and celebrate 25 years of its work with top tennis stars including Andy Murray, Grigor Dmitrov, Maria Sakkari, and the legendary Martina Navratilova. Its academy in Naples continues to be a key destination for young tennis hopefuls looking to fulfill their dreams and achieve academic success.

Iconic coach Rick Macci gives an exclusive interview to Martz about top female pros including Sofia Kenin, Naomi Osaka, Jessica Pegula, and our cover girl Coco Gauff. Meanwhile, Florida Tennis contributor Adam Ross provides his thoughts on the incredible Carlos "Carlitos" Alcaraz in Autograph Corner. 

We preview the the world's leading junior tournaments taking place (soon) right here in Florida including: Eddie Herr International, Little Mo, Orange Bowl, and Junior Orange Bowl tournaments. We also profile four Florida-based coaches honored by the USPTA.

The USPTA also honored Chris Evert with its Hall of Fame award in Orlando this fall. In an interview, Evert revealed the story behind the Evert Tennis Academy and her love of coaching, teaching, and mentoring young players at her esteemed program in Boca Raton.

Florida Tennis contributor Deborah Hobbs fuels our motivation as she profiles 77 year-old William "Bill" Christensen who's making a mark on the tennis scene in the Clearwater area. Dr. Richard Cohen provides mental toughness tips for those in their teens. And we profile a Paula Blatcher who works with tennis players on rapid transformational therapy.

Ian Pyka, former Strength and Conditioning Coach of the New England Patriots and Florida Panthers, gives us insights into Marie Bouzkova who holds a career-high WTA ranking of No. 24 and uses magnetherapy for recovery at Boca Cryo to achieve peak athletic performance.

Enjoy the issue! And don't forget to check our blog for news updates 5x/week from Monday - Friday.

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Written by Florida Tennis' Executive Editor and Publisher Matt Pressman. Photo credits (including cover): New Balance. Be sure to subscribe for expanded coverage, exclusive interviews, and in-depth tennis news.