The Barnes Tennis Center in Point Loma will again host the upcoming United States Tennis Association (USTA) Girls’ 16s & 18s National Championships from Aug. 3-11.
The nearly 400 girls, in addition to the opportunity to be called a national champion, will compete for coveted wild-card entries into the U.S. Open about a month later.
The winner of the 18s singles will receive a wild-card entry into the main draw at the U.S. Open Women’s Championships; the winner of the 16s singles will receive a similar entry into the U.S. Open Junior Championships and the 18s doubles winner will receive a wild-card spot in the main draw of the U.S. Open Women’s Doubles Championships.
Opening ceremonies at the Barnes Tennis Center begin Aug. 3 with a special performance by the United States Navy Band Southwest. In addition, the featured speaker, tennis legend Gretchen Magers, is familiar to many in San Diego.
Magers, formerly the No. 1-ranked junior player in the worl, who also competed on the professional tour, played a key role in launching beach tennis in the San Diego area. She is currently the head coach for women’s tennis at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges.
Past tournament winners at this Point Loma event include women who later had very successful careers on the professional circuit, including Chris Evert, Jennifer Capriati, Tracy Austin, Andrea Jaeger and Lindsay Davenport.
The Barnes Tennis Center is located at 4490 W. Point Loma Blvd. For more information, call (619) 221-9000. Matches will also be played at San Diego State University and the University of San Diego. Admission is free. Parking is free at Barnes Tennis Center with a nominal fee at SDSU and USD.