The USTA this week opens its 64-acre national campus in Orlando's Lake Nona development, hoping the $60M campus will "break ground with opportunities for newer players to brush shoulders with rising stars," according to Mary Shanklin of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. The campus "stakes out the industry's mission to grow" as tennis participation has increased 23% to 17.9 million participants in the past decade. The hope is that it will also "draw visitors, help launch Lake Nona's sports district and elevate Orlando's standing in the world of tennis." Families can play for free on "16 short courts and watch developing juniors and budding professionals at the player development quarters." Even before it opens, the industry group has "booked more than 100 events that range from a conference on the business of undersized courts to USTA pro circuit events, mostly aimed at junior-level players." The campus also will host free "college nights" on 12 Plexicushion courts, including a Jan. 21 match between Alabama and Michigan. Other groups, including the Special Olympics and Gay Lesbian Tennis Alliance, have also "booked the site." Leagues, boot camps, lessons and clinics are also "open for business" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 1/1).
