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USTA National Campus opens

ORLANDO, Fla. — The United States Tennis Association (USTA) today held the ceremonial “First Serve” at the USTA National Campus, the new “Home of American Tennis” located at Lake Nona in Orlando, Fla. Tennis icons, local dignitaries, partners and tennis enthusiasts were on hand to mark the occasion. The USTA National Campus officially opened earlier this week, on January 2, 2017. The model tennis facility, featuring 100 courts, will serve as the new “Home of American Tennis,” by combining all USTA participation programs and USTA Player Development in a central location for the first time. The groundbreaking, state-of-the art complex is designed to enhance the sport at every level and create an unparalleled playing, training, coaching and educational experience for recreational players, competitive players, coaches and spectators.

“The opening of the USTA National Campus is a monumental milestone for our sport,” said USTA Chairman of the Board and President Katrina Adams. “The new Home of American Tennis will redefine how the USTA delivers on its mission and will provide a new vision for the future of tennis in the U.S.”

More than 100 international, national and local events and tournaments already are scheduled at the world-class facility in 2017. Open to the public, the tennis center will serve the Orlando community by providing year-round programs for all levels of play.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to see USTA’s vision for a national campus become reality,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “As the new ‘Home of American Tennis,’ Orlando further solidifies itself as a global magnet for sports, health and wellness innovation.”

The Campus will be the epicenter for tennis innovation, allowing opportunities for the testing of new and emerging technologies. The USTA partnered with the Tavistock Group, along with a consortium of regional and state partners, to develop the new, innovative tennis complex. It is the anchor of the “Lake Nona Sports & Performance District,” which includes the future training home of Orlando City Soccer Club’s Training Center.

“The connection between Lake Nona’s established Medical City cluster and the emerging Sports & Human Performance cluster is so natural and one that we dream will grow to become one of the biggest in the nation,” said Rasesh Thakkar, senior managing director of Tavistock Group. “We are excited about all the ways in which the USTA National Campus will make a difference in people’s lives, people from all walks of life and all ages.”

The USTA National Campus is one of the largest tennis facilities in the world. It is located on 64-acres and divided into dedicated areas that will focus on the complete tennis pathway. The cutting-edge center will feature a total of 100 courts (32 Plexicusion hard courts, 32 Har-Tru green clay courts, 16 Sport Courts, eight DecoTurf acrylic cushion courts, six European Terre Davis red clay and six ReBound Ace indoor courts) along with two stadium courts. The campus is divided into the following areas:

FACILITY DETAILS

adidas Performance Center:

• The home to USTA Player Development, this area features 20 courts including eight DecoTurf acrylic cushion courts, six European Terre Davis red clay courts (over 450 tons of imported Italian red clay) and six Rebound Ace indoor courts.
• The 14 outdoor courts feature high-mast lighting and the 6 indoor courts feature LED lighting.
• The indoor court building includes a viewing area and will be used during inclement weather to allow tournaments and events to be completed.
• A player lodge which can house up to 40 players participating in Player Development training programs.
• An athletic training area that includes a strength & conditioning area, a 350 foot ProTraxx sprint track, a sand pit, indoor and outdoor workout areas, and hot/cold soaking tubs, as well as a 2nd floor “open office space” for Player Development staff

Team USA / Tournament Headquarters / League Area:

• These areas feature 32 Har-Tru Hydro-Courts (watered from underground) green clay courts and 20 Plexicushion acrylic cushion courts (Team USA).
• Two Championship Courts (1 Har-Tru and 1 Plexicushion) with seating for approximately 500 (1000 with temporary seating) each.
• A tournament administration building complete with trainer rooms, an official’s area, storage, a viewing deck, restrooms and a tournament registration area.
• A Courtside Café with patio seating and a second floor viewing deck
• The Team USA area, in addition to hosting tournaments and league championships, will be used by the 17 USTA sections, along with coaches and their players throughout the country to work collaboratively with USTA Player Development.
• The USTA National Campus will host over 100 tournaments and events in 2017.

Nemours Family Zone:

• This area is for young players and adults learning the game. It will feature:
  • Eight 36-foot and eight 60-foot courts with PowerGame™, environmentally friendly SportBase™ replacing the traditional cement subsurface.
  • These courts will allow players to learn and play the game more quickly and easily.

USTA Welcome Center:

• Players, guests, fans and visitors are introduced to the National Campus by entering the USTA Welcome Center, featuring:
  • 50,000 sq. ft. LEED certified USTA office building.
  • Includes the main players check-in area, a large pro shop operated by Fromuth Tennis, a Racquet Bar for stringing and racquet customization, locker rooms and the Net Post Grill (opening March 2017 with both indoor and outdoor seating) on the 1st floor.
  • USTA administrative offices occupy 2nd floor and utilize an “open office space” concept.

Collegiate Area:

• Home of the University of Central Florida men’s and women’s varsity tennis programs, includes 12 Plexicushion acrylic cushion courts, so two dual matches can be played simultaneously. The venue also will host a variety of other college tennis events and championships
• Features a Collegiate Cafe, public restrooms, team locker rooms, coaches offices, and an area for trainers and officials.
• The courts will be equipped with high-mast lighting for televised events and have elevated seating for 1,200 fans.
• More than 300 college dual matches will be played on campus, highlighted by a “College MatchDay” series.
• In addition to hosting collegiate events, these courts will also be used when the Campus hosts large hardcourt tournaments and league championships.

IT / Technology:

• The National Campus will incorporate the latest technology to provide an unparalleled playing, training and educational experience for players, coaches, officials, administrators and spectators.
• The campus has an in-house TV network allowing for messaging and programming to be seen throughout the campus.
• PlaySight is the official livestreaming and court analytics partner of the campus.
  • 32 courts will be PlaySight SmartCourts and all 84 tournament courts will feature live streaming.
• Wi-Fi will be available throughout the 64 acre Campus.

Local Programming:

• The USTA National Campus is open to the public and will not require membership.
• Hours: Open Monday-Saturday from 7:30 AM-10 PM and Sundays from 7:30 AM-8 PM.
• Local instructional programs for all ages and abilities will be offered — for programs, times, and prices go to ustanationalcampus.com
• Court Pricing:
  • Team USA & Collegiate (Plexicushion Acrylic): 60 min $12, 90 min $15, 2 hrs. $20
  • Har-Tru (clay court): 60 min $15, 90 min $20, 2 hrs. $25
  • Family Zone (36′ & 60′ courts): Complimentary, upon availability

USTA Divisions:

• The USTA’s Community Tennis and Player Development divisions will be headquartered at the National Campus.
• It will be home to the national training center for USTA-certified officials – the site will be used to develop innovative methods for teaching, evaluating and certifying officials
• It will have the ability to host USTA Pro Circuit events, giving aspiring American professionals an ideal venue to showcase and develop their talent.
• It will be home to USTAU, a “tennis university” developing a pipeline of future coaches, teaching professionals and tournament directors while raising the standards for event management, coaching, officiating and the customer experience.
• For more information, please visit ustanationalcampus.com.

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 715,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Emirates Airline US Open Series, linking seven summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships and helps under-resourced youth and individuals with disabilities, and supports wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans and their families. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com, “like” the official Facebook page, facebook.com/usta, or follow @usta on Twitter.

Posted on January 5, 2017
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