For every Sam Querrey or Coco Vandeweghe lighting it up on the tour circuit, there are dozens of players looking to develop their skills, experience the pressure, and build their ranking on the USTA Pro Circuit. Make no mistake, these are not fledging players with little hope of a professional future. The Pro Circuit features athletes, homegrown and from places far abroad, who’ve had a taste of Grand Slam action, competed in Challenger events, and traveled the world to face off against their international peers.
This fall, the USTA Pro Circuit returns to Southern California with four stops that highlight local, national, and global talent – Claremont, Laguna Niguel, Fountain Valley, and Templeton. Each event is a chance for SoCal tennis fans to catch a glimpse of the future of tennis, from an 18 year old phenom to a player inside the World Top 100.
One of those players is Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva, the top seeded Brazilian teenager who won his first title earlier this year and appeared in the US Open junior draw this month. He joins familiar American names like Americans Henry Craig, Martin Redlicki, Gage Brymer, and Timothy Sah as those expected to compete at the Claremont Club beginning on September 7 with the qualifying rounds (main draw begins September 11).
The tour continues September 14-23 at Laguna Niguel Racquet Club for the USTA Pro Futures. Those scheduled to appear include Craig, Redlicki, and newly minted SoCal Open Sectionals champion Isaiah Strode. Juniors Govind Nanda, Emilio Nava, and Stefan Dostanic – all of whom competed in US Open Juniors – are slated to appear in the qualifying rounds with a chance at the main draw.
All eyes then turn to Fountain Valley and Los Caballeros Racquet & Sports Club for the Los Cab Men’s Pro Futures, September 21-30. An event featuring a decidedly more international flair, top seed Peter Heller of Germany is the top seed in a draw featuring Evan Song (USA), Czech Republic’s Petr Michnev, and Takuto Niki of Japan. The nation’s top collegiate prospect, Brandon Nakashima of San Diego, is also expected to compete out of the qualifier after an impressive showing at Flushing Meadows.
As the men compete in Fountain Valley, the women’s tour arrives in Templeton for the Central Coast Pro Tennis Open at Templeton Tennis Ranch. Local names including Ashley Kratzer and Asia Muhammad join Naomi Broady (San Diego Aviators of World TeamTennis) and a host of international up and comers from Brazil, Russia, Switzerland, Argentina, and many more.
To learn more about the USTA Pro Circuit, visit usta.com or socalprocircuit.com. All events are free to the public and feature community events and opportunities for Pro-Am competition and more.