Michael Peterson

There is a legitimate debate about international players in college tennis. Reasonable limits should preserve meaningful opportunities for American players. But that debate should not obscure a deeper problem: American junior tennis is not producing enough college-ready players to fill American college tennis. The ITA has effectively acknowledged this. In 2020, then-ITA CEO Tim Russell said there were thousands of college scholarships available but “there are just not enough American juniors...

American tennis is in a strange position. The sport is growing, participation is up, and courts are busier than they have been in years. But the competitive junior pipeline still feels too narrow, too expensive, too rankings-driven, and too focused on a relatively small number of national events. That matters because the future of American tennis will not be determined only by how many people try the sport. It will be determined by how many young players stay in the sport, learn to...

1. Indian Wells Tennis Garden Home of the BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells is the crown jewel of West Coast tennis. With one of the largest tennis stadiums in the world and a campus purpose-built for professional competition, it delivers a Grand Slam–level experience in the desert. But it’s not just about two weeks in March. The scale of the facility — dozens of courts, premium practice areas, and fan infrastructure — makes it a model for what modern tennis venues can be. It sets the standard....