NSMTA President’s Letter – January 2024

Dear Friend of the NSMTA,

We are delighted to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR! and to celebrate our 6th anniversary of enhancing the tennis environment for the highly competitive player.

Our Board of Directors, with diverse expertise in legal, medical, digital, financial, marketing and tournament management, has been instrumental in our strategic planning process for setting our objectives for 2024. Our mission, since 2018, has been to improve the players’ tournament experience.

We have been working hard for the past 6 years to enhance the tournament experience for our players, to support charitable causes and organizations, and to offer a better digital platform for players to find and register for tournaments. We are proud of our achievements, and we are ready for the next level of growth and innovation in 2024. Here are some of the key changes that we have planned:

We are excited to announce that starting from February 1st, our organization will be known as NMTA – National Men’s Tennis Association. This change reflects our commitment to provide the best opportunities and services for our highly competitive adult players. We are following the example of other organizations such as NWTO and ITF, who have also updated their names to be more inclusive and respectful of different age groups. Please join us in embracing this new name and identity.

The term “Masters” is used to designate the divisions for older adult players in various events and tournaments. For example, the ITF has ITF Masters Divisions, the ITF Masters Tour and the ITF Masters Tour Calendar. Similarly, we have introduced the NMTA “Masters Invitational Team Series”, which is not sanctioned by the USTA, and the USTA sanctioned Level 3 NMTA Masters Clay Court Championships in Columbus, GA April 10-14, 2024. These are opportunities for older adult players to compete and enjoy the sport of tennis.

The NMTA is an organization that aims to provide a better tennis experience for adult competitive players. We listen to the feedback of our members and use it to guide our actions. Based on the survey results from more than 8,000 players in the fall of 2023, we have set some goals for 2024. These include:

– Growing our membership base and reaching out to more tennis enthusiasts.

– Improving our digital platform to make it easier and more convenient for players to register, communicate and access information.

– Offering new resources for education and wellness to help players improve their skills and health.

– Expanding the range and location of events to cater to different preferences and needs of players.

 We are proud to announce that we have donated more than $10,000 to various charities in 2023, either directly or through matching programs. We plan to raise this amount to $15,000 in 2024, as part of our commitment to social responsibility. We also want to improve the quality of our tournaments by providing our National Tournament Directors with a updated version of the Tournament Director’s Handbook, which outlines the standards for playing conditions, amenities, and local attractions. Moreover, we are looking for a suitable location for a sanctioned event on the west coast, like the NMTA Masters Clay Court Championships that will take place in Columbus, GA in April.

We are excited to work with the tennis community to achieve these goals and make 2024 a great year for tennis.

Good Luck in 2024 and a have a safe and healthy year.