JTCC News

Four rising stars from across the DMV represented JTCC and earned a moment in the spotlight on July 27, capturing first place at the Stars of Tomorrow Tournament held at Rock Creek Tennis Center—the same courts where the Mubadala Citi DC Open professionals competed. 

Accompanied by JTCC Director of Junior Champions Mira Vlcek, the team of Milan Smith (DC), Chloe Stillwagon (MD), Knowlton Atterbeary (MD), and Mia Robles (VA) competed in the 10U Green Dot division. The tournament featured a unique team format: co-ed doubles matches played in a round-robin structure, with a singles tiebreaker if matches were tied.

JTCC went undefeated in Group 2 play, advancing to face the winners of Group 1 in the championship match. With strong teamwork and clutch performances in tight moments, they came out on top to claim the title.

JTCC was buzzing with energy this month hosting three film crews for exciting projects.

🎾 On  July 15, JTCC alumnus and current world #12 Frances Tiafoe returned to film a Beats by Dre commercial.

🎥 On  July 16, Tiafoe joined forces with 2021 US Open finalist & 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open Champion Leylah Fernandez for a fantastic Lululemon shoot on the outdoor courts.  

📽️ On July 17, the award-winning All Access with Andy Garcia crew arrived to film a documentary on JTCC’s mission, impact, and inclusive programming.  Featured interviews included:

JTCC is excited to announce the appointment of Andrew “Andy” Rathmann-Noonan as Chief Development Officer.  Andy brings a wealth of experience, a deep passion for tennis, and a strong commitment to our mission.

Rathmann-Noonan previously served as president of the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation, where he was responsible for creating and executing the organization’s fundraising efforts and managing the five-person development team. During his tenure, Rathmann-Noonan helped grow annual revenue from $100,000 to $2,000,000 while collaborating with several partners, including the White House.

Ray Benton has informed the Board of Directors of his intention to retire as CEO and Board member of the Junior Tennis Championship Center (JTCC) as of December 31, 2025.

Benton was recruited in 2008 to lead JTCC by founder Ken Brody whose vision was to build JTCC into an organization that uses the game of tennis to better lives with a focus on developing a world-class training program that produces champions both on and off the court.

JTCC is proud to announce that Head of Wheelchair and Adaptive Tennis Gabby Hesse has been named to the USTA Wheelchair tennis national development team.

JTCC was transformed for an unforgettable evening on April 29 to salute tennis visionaries Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss at the GEICO Champions Celebration presented by Amazon, Umana Family, & Erin and Robert Thomson.

JTCC is excited to announce the opening of its first location in Virginia at the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles Hotel in Chantilly, VA.

Ten JTCC High Performance players competed in March in the prestigious USTA Level 1 FILA Easter Bowl tournament in Indian Wells, CA. Often referred to as the “Super Bowl of Junior Tennis,” the Easter Bowl is known for jumpstarting the careers of Hall of Famers Andre Agassi, Tracy Austin, John McEnroe, and JTCC alumnus and former world #10 Frances Tiafoe.

“Houston we have a problem” applies only to Frances Tiafoe’s early round opponents in the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston, TX because the Hyattsville native continues to destroy opponents on his way to three consecutive finals at the ATP 250 event.

The Para Standing Championships held March 1-2 brought together 15 exceptional athletes from the United States and Chile and featured a remarkable display of talent across multiple competitive categories including Men’s and Women’s singles and doubles.

For two and a half weeks, JTCC Director of International Operations Asaf Yamin embarked on an incredible journey to China, bringing the JTCC training philosophy and High Performance mindset to the next generation of tennis players. His mission was to share JTCC coaching principles with players and coaches across China while building lasting connections within the international tennis community.

Kemit-Amon Lewis’s journey back to competitive tennis is a testament to resilience, innovation, and the power of community. His connection with Wilson and JTCC has been instrumental in his return to the sport, allowing him to push past barriers and redefine what is possible in Para Standing tennis.