The USTA officially opened its new National Campus in Lake Nona after hosting a community open house and celebration that included internationally known tennis players Chris Evert, James Blake and Jim Courie as well as Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Commissioner Jennifer Thompson, and USTA President Katrina Adams.
The 64-acre National Campus is a state-of-the-art, technologically advanced facility for players of every level and was designed with the goal of ensuring the sports continued growth far into the 21st century.
“For players of every age and every ability, the USTA National Campus will raise the bar on how we deliver tennis, with the goal of making our great sport more accessible to more people than ever before,” Adams said. “If you are into playing tennis – or if you want to be a future coach, official or tournament director – this is your go-to place.”
The “New Home of American Tennis” offers 100 courts of varying surfaces, providing American pros with a home base to train and residents of the Orlando community a place to play 365 days of the year, all while brushing shoulders with some of the game’s rising stars. The facility will also serve as host to national, individual and collegiate events.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to see the USTA’s vision for a national campus become reality,” said Dyer. “As the ‘New Home of American Tennis,’ Orlando further solidifies itself as a global magnet for sports, health, wealth and wellness innovation.”
“It’s the opportunity for the next generation that’s coming behind us,” Thompson said, “whether it’s an economic development opportunity and the jobs that were created as a result of this, the opportunity to be an anchor for the sports district, or an opportunity to create love for the game of tennis.”
“It will be the center of tennis innovations, from live streaming to match analysis, which is really state-of-the-art,” said Evert, who toured the National Campus for the first time on Thursday. “In a nutshell, this USTA National Campus really leaves no stone unturned. The attention to detail has been tremendous and it will enhance our sport at every level.”
The National Campus is equipped with advanced technology, providing players with the best equipment available to improve their games. To that end, the USTA has partnered with PlaySight Technologies, creator of the Smart Court, whose interactive technology provides players with useful data at their fingertips, including ball speed, step count, misses, lobs, aces and more.
Three years in the making, the National Campus joins the glimmering USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center as the twin pillars of the USTA’s steadfast commitment to growing the sport of tennis in the U.S., from the professional ranks all the way through juniors, seniors and wheelchair divisions.
“This is nirvana, with nets. Truly heaven, the ‘Home of American Tennis,’” said Adams, summing up the afternoon.