It comes as no surprise that Julieta Pareja’s game-style is patterned after all her favorite tennis players, who just so happen to come from countries closely tied to Pareja’s extended family in South America and who speak the same second language of Spanish as Pareja does. “Rafa is my favorite, of course,” said Pareja, 13-years-old…

Just 18 months removed from his eight-day hospital ICU stay after a horrific skateboarding accident that ended his senior season at UCLA, Keegan Smith wants all to know he’s living his best life and ready to continue his climb up the ATP rankings in both singles and doubles. Fresh off his huge US Open first…

To kick off our celebration of 2022 Hispanic Heritage Month, USTA Southern California hosted a Hispanic Heritage Month Cultural Event to celebrate the past, present, and future of Hispanic tennis. The event was hosted at a San Diego tennis mainstay in Barnes Tennis Center on September 17th, and featured a celebration of the rich diversity…

Diego Castillo started playing tennis after his mother took him to watch Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells Garden. Inspired by the famous Spaniard, Castillo would also go on to start his tennis career as a junior at Indian Wells. It’s that initial experience of being up close to the action and having the chance to…

Porfirio Cervantes had an unorthodox introduction to the sport of tennis. The current Assistant Director of Tennis at the Serve It Up Tennis Academy, was first suggested the sport by his high school tennis coach. While this in itself is normal, Porfirio’s athletic pursuits at that point were primarily in the sport of wrestling. Growing…

Sabrina Santamaria’s mother emigrated to Los Angeles from the Philippines, while her father came to Los Angeles from Panama. Both of her parents were tennis players and met playing tennis on public courts in Koreatown in the 1980s. There was absolutely no doubt that Sabrina herself would be a tennis player, and now that she…

In a sport that is constantly working to improve diversity and representation even today, Ricardo Alonso ‘Pancho’ Gonzales was a pioneer for Latino and Hispanic athletes in the early 20th century and left a considerable impact on Southern California tennis for years to come. Gonzales was born in Los Angeles in 1928, to two Mexican…

On September 15, USTA Southern California celebrated its annual Service Awards in Redondo Beach, bestowing numerous honors upon respected and deserving members of the Southern California tennis community. A wide array of diverse and impactful players, coaches, and organizations in the tennis community convened to celebrate a common love of tennis. President of the USTA…