I want to preface these observations with my amazement at how much was accomplished in the 12 months since I first visited the Jimmy Evert Tennis Center at Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale.
On our way to the airport after the 2024 Orange Bowl, the final one at the Veltri Tennis Center 10 miles to the west, we stopped to scout out the JETC, which had not yet been publicly announced as the Orange Bowl's new home. It was not laid out for a major tournament that would draw crowds, with no viewing, just two rows of courts side by side by side. There were obvious positives however, with Holiday Park providing a huge and sports diverse setting, with plenty of field parking and the Florida Panthers practice facility on the premises serving as the flagship attraction.
The 9.5 million dollar transformation was impressive, with a new stadium court and walkways between most two-court pods, new fencing, concrete paths and a spot outside the clubhouse to congregate. Construction projects, particularly municipal ones, are notorious for delays and problems, but this one was completed, as planned, on schedule.
My comments below are meant as suggestions for the tournament for Year Two of what is a ten-year commitment to the site. I know that JETC director of tennis Scott Pukys, Orange Bowl tennis committee chair Doug Wiley and the USTA's Elissa Hill, the tournament director, are eager to continue to upgrade the event.
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Chris Evert receiving plaque commemorating her
Stadium Court naming from Orange Bowl Tennis chair Doug Wiley |
The first day of the tournament's main draw was as exciting as any I can remember at an Orange Bowl, with Chris Evert on hand to dedicate the Stadium Court named in her honor. Hundreds of spectators turned out, with the city dignitaries, the Orange Bowl committee and the USTA providing perspectives on what Jimmy Evert and the Orange Bowl itself have meant to junior tennis.
Fortunately, the weather cooperated for that morning ceremony, but by mid-afternoon, the rain arrived and continued throughout the second day, a lengthy disruption that eventually resulted in day with two singles matches for all divisions but the boys 16s. Much of the momentum that was gained with Monday's ceremony was lost, and with the possibility of more rain, all the finals were scheduled for the same time on Sunday, which reduced the number and concentration of spectators.
The first problem identified by everyone I talked to on the first day was the lack of practice courts onsite. At Veltri, there were enough courts to dedicate several to practice; at JETC all 20 courts were needed for matches, with practice courts 15 to 30 minutes away by car or shuttle. This led to either 6:30 a.m. warmups at JETC or trying to schedule an appropriate time for a warmup offsite. The rain meant this problem extended throughout the event, although by the later stages, another closer practice venue was introduced.
With the new world-class lighting on all courts, and, I hope, better weather next year, there should be two courts on-site for pre-match warmups. If that means 8 p.m. matches on the first few days, that might be a necessary compromise.
I can't overstate how rare this is, but I did not hear one negative comment about the courts themselves from players or coaches.
Court conditions were a major problem at Veltri, where the courts, which had surface watering systems, would dry out during the day and flood after even a brief heavy rain.
The new subsurface watering system on the Har-Tru courts at the Jimmy Evert Tennis Center was a huge improvement and the courts also dried quickly despite all the rain.
Although there was viewing on most courts (it was impossible to watch matches on courts 1, 2 and 20 due to windscreens unnecessarily surrounding them), it was cramped, with not enough room for spectators to move from one end to the other due to the player benches and oversized umpire chairs. The side windscreens should be removed and umpire chairs with smaller footprints should be used to provide a crucial couple of feet between courts.
The lack of any concessions on site was a problem. At Veltri, there was a vendor on site, grilling hamburgers and providing other meals and snacks. This year there was no place to buy food except the hockey arena concession, which is a quarter mile from the tennis center. A food truck located in the VIP parking lot could easily rectify this problem.
The hockey arena served as the site of player dining and the player lounge. The walk was lengthy, but there were electric shuttles that ran continuously that many players and officials made use of.
The player hotel, where the hospitality breakfast was served, was a 10-minute walk away, which was very convenient for those staying there, including me. Unfortunately, the cost was nearly double that of hotels in Plantation, so players who were traveling with parents were paying more, as the ITF hospitality policy(for 18s only) requires two players per room to be free. Not much can be done about that, I guess, given the convenience, and the tournament rate is reasonable compared to the hotel's rack rate of over $300 per night.
iOnCourt stepped in at the last minute to provide the live scoring and on-site displays after long-time provider SMT bowed out. Although there were bugs and occasional app crashes, the team onsite was eager to help and to provide solutions as they refined the software.
iOnCourt also provided those updating the draw boards with a file that sped up the process, with very little lag time between completion of a match and its posting on the board.
But one thing I missed from Veltri was the large board of past Orange Bowl champions, which was a focal point of players, spectators and media alike.
The JETC has a list of past Orange Bowl champions, but its permanent location underneath the clubhouse roof does not provide it with the same prominence as the draw boards. Having a display that is year-round is great, but I would like to see the other, larger display revived for the week of the tournament.
The USTA's former CEO Lew Sherr was invested in reviving the Orange Bowl at a new location, and although he left the organization before that became a reality, the first phase of that desire to elevate the status of the event has been accomplished. With more local and national marketing, the event can enhance its reputation as junior tennis's fifth major, with the investment the USTA, the Orange Bowl and the City of Fort Lauderdale have made a great start in that mission.
I joined Alex Gruskin, John Parsons and Chris Halioris on a Great Shot podcast recently, focusing on the move of the NCAA Division I individual championships to the fall. That change is likely to stick for reasons we discuss, but the four of us have differing opinions on whether that is a good thing.
You can listen to our conversation about that and the ITA fall season that leads up to it here, or wherever you get your podcasts.
