National tennis event in Palm Beach County draws over 400 players

Top junior tennis players from around the country took part in the recent USTA Boys’ 18 & 16 National Clay Court Championships.

The weeklong event took place at several venues throughout Palm Beach County and finished at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. Other sites used for the prestigious event included the Boca Raton Racquet Center, Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center and BallenIsles Country Club.

The event consisted of over 400 of the top-ranked Boys 18s & 16s in the United States and had its highlights on two television shows, one for each event (B18 & B16). The competitors, from over 30 states, braved high temperatures with heat indexes that sometimes hit triple digits.

“We’re thrilled to host the 57th anniversary of the USTA Boys 18 & 16 Clay Court National Championships hosted by the city of Delray Beach,” said Ivan Baron, tournament director. “This is the highest level USTA amateur event in the country, with everyone fighting for the USTA Gold Ball (championship).

“We love seeing over 75 NCAA college coaches in town to scout the players,” he said. “Since I used to be a college coach, I know firsthand that the majority of players will try extra hard to impress the coaches with the goal of receiving a college scholarship.”

The Boys 18s Singles final is a marquee match as the winner receives a wildcard into the 2023 U.S. Open Jr. Championships.

“I know the players will be nervous as I remember long ago when I played in the US Open, it’s a very special feeling I’ll never forget,” Baron said. “We are creating a 30-minute televised highlight show for each of the Boys 18s and Boys 16s events. They will be aired on Tennis Channel in September (exact day TBD).”

The event featured 950 matches played over eight days. The champions of the singles and doubles will receive a USTA Gold Ball for the championships. A total of 3,600 tennis balls were used and there were seven match and practice facilities with over 100 tennis courts utilized.