Pioneering the Future of Tennis: The Visionaries Behind USTA Florida & the Evolution of Florida's Tennis Legacy
Eddie Herr, Clarence Varner, Gardnar Mulloy and Edward Turville, the founders of the Florida Lawn Tennis Association, now known as USTA Florida, were visionaries. They recognized that competition, especially between the best Florida and international junior players, was a key to tennis success. To foster competition in Florida they oversaw the “Great Secession” of Florida from the Southern Lawn Tennis Association in 1949. In 1951, the FLTA officially gained sectional status following action by the USLTA, now the USTA.
In 1945 Eddie Herr founded the Miami Beach Tennis Association. Herr was concerned that his daughter, Suzanne, and other Florida junior players, did not have access to enough tournaments. His answer was to create the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships in 1947, initially played in Miami Beach, which became one of the most important junior tennis events in the world.
It is a ‘Grade A’ ITF tournament that features both boys and girls, singles and doubles draws at both ’18 and under’ and ’16 and under’ age groups. Since 2011, it has been held at the Frank Veltri Tennis Center in Plantation, Florida.
According to Harold Solomon, the former Orange Bowl tennis champion in 1969 and 1970 and the 2024 Orange Bowl Hall of Fame Tennis Inductee, the Orange Bowl is the most important junior tennis event in the world. “The Orange Bowl was considered the premiere [junior] tournament in the world. Junior Wimbledon was not that big, and the Australia and the French really were not quite there either. So, this was the tournament that everybody wanted to play.”
Players who have competed at the Orange Bowl include: Andre Agassi; Arthur Ashe; Boris Becker; Bjorn Borg; Jimmy Connors; Jim Courier; Stefan Edberg; Chris Evert; Roger Federer; Mary Joe Fernandez; Steffi Graf; Jusine Henin; Ivan Lendl; Hana Mandlikova; Andy Roddick; Gabriela Sabatini; Monica Seles; Andy Roddick; Dominic Thiem; Guillermo Vilas; and Mats Wilander.
In 1957 Eddie Herr founded the Sunshine Cup junior team competition for boys. In 1976, with Mrs. Frank Jeffert, he cofounded the Continental Players Cup for team play for girls. In 1987, Herr’s grandson, Glenn Feldman, founded the Eddie Herr International Junior Championships in Bradenton, Florida.
Currently, the Eddie Herr International Junior Championship is held at IMG Academy. This invitation-only event welcomes over 2,000 junior tennis players from over 90 countries. Many professionals have won this tournament, including: Maria Sharapova: Jelena Jankovic; Whitney Osuigwe; Miomir Kecmanovic; Michael Mmoh; Andy Roddick and Xavier Malisse.
The Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships began in 1962 in Coral Gables, Florida for boys and girls in the “14 and under” and “12 and under” age divisions. This tournament brings together 800 of the top ranked male and female junior players representing 76 countries.
Tennis legends that have played in the Junior Orange Bowl include: Andre Agassi; Jimmy Connors; Chris Evert; Mary Joe Fernandez; Steffi Graf; Justine Henin; Juan Martin del Potro; Andy Roddick; Monica Seles; Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki.
There are several professional tournaments that have shaped the Florida tennis horizon. Two of those events are the Miami Open and the Delray Beach Open.
The Miami Open is a Masters 1000 event, often referred to as the 5th Major. It is the brainchild of HOF tennis player Butch Buchholz and his brother, Cliff Buchholz. The Buchholz Family Court is named for them at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, the home of the event since 2019.
The first iteration of the tournament was held in February 1985 at Laver’s International Tennis Resort in Delray Beach, Florida. In 1986, the tournament was played at Boca West and then it was relocated to Crandon Park in Key Biscayne in 1987.
This year marked the 39th edition of the event, which was held from March 19, 2024 through March 31, 2024 with prize money for male and female winners of $1,100,000.00. Jannik Sinner was the Men’s singles champion and Floridian Danielle Collins was the Women’s winner. The 2024 Miami Open set an all-time attendance record of 395,683.
Past Men’s singles winners include: Ivan Lendl; Andre Agassi; Jim Courier; Pete Sampras; Marcelo Rios; Andy Roddick; Roger Federer; Andy Murray; and Novak Djokovic.
Past Women’s singles champions include: Martina Navratilova; Chris Evert; Steffi Graf; Monica Seles; Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario; Martina Hingis; Venus Williams; Serena Williams; Kim Clijsters; Vika Azarenka; Sloane Stephens; Ashleigh Barty and Iga Swiatek.
The Delray Beach Open, an ATP 250 event began in 1993 under the stewardship of Mark Baron, the owner and Tournament Director. The Delray Beach Open has grown into the world’s only 10-day ATP Champions Tour and ATP 250 event.
Coral Springs was the tournament’s site from 1993-1998 and it was initially known as America’s Red Clay Championships. Todd Martin won the first singles title, his first career ATP title. The tournament moved from the red clay of Coral Springs to the Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center in 1999. In its first year in Delray Beach, the tournament shifted to a hard-court event.
Lleyton Hewitt became the first singles champion in Delray Beach.
Floridian Mardy Fish captured the crown in 2009. That year was also the first Delray Beach Open doubles title for Bob and Mike Bryan. In 2018, 20-year-old American Frances Tiafoe won his first ATP Tour title at the DBO.
In 2020, 15-year-old Coco Gauff won the first women’s exhibition match at the DBO over NCAA Division 1 champion Estela Perez-Somarriba from the University of Miami. 2020 also marked the final match for the Bryan Brothers on the ATP Tour. They won their 6th Delray Beach Open doubles trophy and 119th career title.
The 2024 Delray Beach Open was the 32nd edition of the tournament. It took place between February 12th and February 18th, 2024. A record 65,135 fans attended the 10-day tournament. Taylor Fritz defeated Tommy Paul to claim his second consecutive DBO title.
Past singles champions include: Jan-Michael Gambill; Tommy Haas; Xavier Malisse; Kei Nishikori; Juan Martin Del Potro; Kevin Anderson; Ivo Karlovic; Marin Cilic; Sam Querrey; Jack Sock; and Reilly Opelka.
The founders of the USTA Florida sought to encourage competition amongst Floridians and international tennis players to expand the game and to develop the best players in the world. Florida has had massive success in the junior, adult, senior and professional tournament spaces. Competition has also been the hallmark of USTA Florida Leagues.
The amazing growth of tennis in Florida is the result of solid and forward-thinking staff leadership. And volunteers have been and continue to be the bedrock of the USTA Florida. The staff is extraordinary but can’t do it alone.
Here’s to another 75 years of healthy tennis competition and beyond!