What began more than a decade ago in Orange Ball programming on JTCC courts has now culminated in two players competing on one of the premier stages in Junior tennis. This week, Shristi Selvan (15) and Nico Pedraza (16) are competing in the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl, a testament from the early days when both trained in the JTCC Orange Ball programs.

High Performance player Nico Pedraza led a strong JTCC contingent at the USTA Level 1 National Indoor Championships that concluded on December 1, earning a coveted Silver Ball for reaching the finals in the Boys’ 16s Doubles division. This was Pedraza’s fifth career National Ball in Junior competition.

“My partner and I played really well together and had some good chemistry. We complement each other’s games really well,” Pedraza stated. “We had some long days where we ended up playing doubles later in the afternoon, so to stay focused and have high energy late in the day really gave us the edge.”

Holidays are a time for returning home and reconnecting with family and friends, and at JTCC, this is no exception. The building was buzzing the week of November 17 with more than 15 alumni returning to the courts to train together again where their journeys began.

Adding to the excitement, world #9 Ben Shelton stopped by for an energetic practice with alumnus Frances Tiafoe as the two pushed each other for more than three hours.

More than 150 athletes and Unified teammates representing 16 Maryland high school teams competed indoors at JTCC on November 11 in the Special Olympics Maryland Unified Tennis High School State Championships.

Unified Tennis features participants with and without intellectual disabilities and includes various levels of tennis experience. Athletes are assigned to groups of four to compete in round robin doubles based on skill levels. Each team includes a player with and a player without an intellectual disability.

No amount of rain could dampen Ryan Colby’s spirits as the JTCC and Laurel Springs alumnus turned a weather-interrupted week into a career breakthrough.

The Virginia native captured his first professional title November 9 at the M15 Orlando tournament on the USTA Pro Circuit.

JTCC made history as one of the first tennis centers in the U.S. to hire a full-time Adaptive Tennis Program Manager. We spoke with Gabby Hesse, Head of Wheelchair & Adaptive about what “defining excellence” means through adaptive sport and how JTCC is changing what’s possible for athletes of all abilities.

As part of Coach Appreciation Month, Gabby Hesse, JTCC’s Head of Wheelchair & Adaptive Tennis, was recently featured on FOX 5 DC’s Live Zone.

In the short segment, Gabby discussed JTCC’s mission to make the sport accessible for players of all abilities and the growing impact of inclusive programming that brings athletes together on and off the court. Her message underscored how great coaches not only build skills on the court, but also shape character, confidence, and community beyond it.

After a decade as General Manager of USTA Player Development, Martin Blackman has returned to his roots in Junior tennis to serve as CEO of JTCC, where he was Director of Tennis from 2004-08.

Blackman, whose initiatives at the USTA transformed American tennis with more American players ranked in the Top 10, 20, and 50 than at any point since the mid-1990s, brings a community-centered focus to JTCC.