- December 23, 2024
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Six years ago, tennis enthusiast Ron Watts was looking at the tournaments held by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) when a particular one caught his attention.
As he read the description for the Masters Clay Courts National Tennis Tournament on Longboat Key, he thought to himself, "Who wouldn't want to play tennis on a sunny barrier island in Florida during the cold winter months?"
Every year, 300 male tennis players from around the country come to Longboat Key, just like Watts, the week after Thanksgiving to celebrate their love for the sport while exploring the beauty of the Key.
Now, Watts is a full-time resident of the island and this year's tournament director for its 21st year.
Sponsored by the Friends of Tennis of the Longboat Key Tennis Center, the USTA-sanctioned tournament will be held from Dec. 2 to Dec. 8. The finals are scheduled for Friday, Dec. 7 and Saturday, Dec 8.
The singles and doubles matches will begin daily at 8 a.m. with players in age categories from 50 to 90 years old. Last year, players ranged from 55 to 85, but the event was expanded this year for the first time.
Thirty-one courts will be open for matches at the Tennis Center, Tennis Gardens at the Longboat Key Club and Cedar Tennis Resort and Club. Due to hurricane damage, there are fewer courts than in years past, but Watts said it doesn't stop them from accommodating around 345 registered players.
As the town recovers from the hurricanes, Watts said viewers are encouraged to be spectators at the tournament to promote some normalcy around Longboat.
"We had to give a lot of thought as to whether we're going to hold the tournament this year," said Watts. "Ultimately, the group consensus was that it would be a nice sign that we're getting back to normal. All the tennis facilities had to go through repairs to be playable so we appreciate everybody's efforts this year to make it happen. I think that's one of the reasons we had such a good registration this year."
