The Mayor Dinkins Cup is the largest free junior interscholastic tennis competition in the nation, with players from all over New York City representing public, parochial, and private schools. This year we had 540 entries from public, private, and parochial schools in elementary, middle, and high school divisions and more than 500 kids in individual competitions representing all five boroughs and a total of 283 schools. Click here to see photos of this year’s event!
Formerly the Mayor’s Cup, NYJTL renamed the tournament the Mayor Dinkins Cup to honor NYC’s first Black Mayor and NYJTL Board Member, who served 35 years, David N. Dinkins. Below are the winners of the fierce competition:
? Mayor Dinkins Cup Final Awards Winners ?
Boys Varsity Team
Winner: Horace Mann High School
Runner-up: Hunter College High School
Boys Varsity Singles
Winner: Shawn-Mitchell Yon
Runner-up: Erik Johansson
Girls Varsity Singles
Winner: Sophia Luo
Runner-up: Patrycja Filonik
Boys Varsity Doubles
Winner: Jake David / Soren Rudin-Aulenbach
Runner-up: Erik Johansson / Arjun Agostinho
Girls Varsity Doubles
Winner: Margaux Vasilescu / Elle Brown
Runner-up:Chase Thomas / Kate Bondarenko
Boys Middle School Singles
Winner: David Clarke
Runner-up: Lucas Zhang
Girls Middle School Singles
Winner: Debra Gil
Runner-up: Emma Palacio
Boys Middle School Doubles
Winners: Hudson Marston / Kai Levinger
Runner-up: Aaron Tokarz / Lielle Assayag
Girls Middle School Doubles
Winners: Sophia Chi-Chen / Debra Gil
Runner-up: Lilliana Chou / Elizabeth Sabaev
Boys Elementary School Singles- Yellow
Winner: Kobie Aranbayev
Runner-up: Kellan Stratton
The annual NYJTL Mayor Dinkins Cup will return to the Bronx from May 26 to June 5, 2022 at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning. Eleven scholarships have been awarded that will provide a total of $70,000 to program participants to help them achieve their collegiate ambitions. The scholarships will be presented to the winners during the final day of the tournament at the awards ceremony on June 5, 2022 at 2 pm.
The $70,000 of scholarship awards for the benefit of underserved students, a significant increase over last year’s total of $5,000, will be presented at NYJTL’s first in-person awards ceremony since the beginning of the pandemic. The ceremony, which is open to the public, will present the young champions from the teams, singles, and doubles categories in addition to the recipients of the 11 scholarship awards. The scholarship awards include the Gavrin Family Foundation Scholarship, established by Metropolitan Commercial Bank; the Louis Marx, Jr. Educational Scholarship; the Victor Kiam “Going For It” Scholarship; and the AYS Leadership and Innovation Scholarship. These are awarded to NYJTL participants with financial need who excel in tennis, academics, and character, and will be renewed annually based on good academic standing.
“I am honored to support the success of NYJTL’s young people across New York City,” says former Metropolitan Commercial Bank Chairman of the Board of Directors David Gavrin. “Through these scholarships, I hope to help these students achieve their goal of attending college and realize their full potential.”
The winners are:
Gavrin Family Foundation Scholarship
Derwin Guzman, Bronx, Frederick Douglass Academy, Manhattanville College
Sylwia Filonik, Brooklyn, Christ the King Regional High School, St. John’s University
Jeremias Contreras, Brooklyn, Homeschool (SFKG School of Applied Wisdom), Kings College
Emmanuel Usman, Bronx, Aviation Career and Technical Highschool, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Matthew Usman, Bronx, Aviation Career and Technical Highschool, SUNY Stony Brook University
Louis Marx, Jr. Educational Scholarship
Sara Contreras, Brooklyn, Homeschool (SFKG School of Applied Wisdom), Liberty College
Allycia Santa Cruz, Queens, Bard High School Early College, Queens College
Dylan Augustin, Brooklyn, Nazareth High School, Brooklyn College
Aaron Wong, Queens, Francis Lewis High School, SUNY Binghamton University
Victor Kiam “Going For It” Scholarship
Mary Maccarone, Queens, Bayside High School, Florida Atlantic University
AYS Leadership & Innovation Scholarship
Evelin Perez, Bronx, High School of American Studies at Lehman College
The awards ceremony will feature dance performances from students in NYJTL’s ACES Afterschool Program. This along with other activities will create a day of fun and festivities to celebrate the winners of the tournament and scholarships.
“We are so proud to host the nation’s largest free junior interscholastic tennis competition in honor of late longtime NYJTL board member, tennis advocate, and former NYC Mayor, David Dinkins,” says NYJTL President & CEO Udai Tambar. “His dedication to bringing tennis and education to NYC children, like that of our visionary founder Arthur Ashe, has had a tremendous impact on our organization.”
The NYJTL Mayor Dinkins Cup brings players from all over New York City representing public, parochial, and private schools. Formerly known as the NYJTL Mayors Cup, the tournament was renamed in honor of NYJTL’s late board member and the first Black mayor of New York City Mayor David Dinkins.
The NYJTL Mayor Dinkins Cup kicks off today at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning. The awards ceremony will be held on June 5, 2022 at 2 pm. Come join and cheer on our winners and scholarship recipients!
New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) celebrated 50 years of service last night at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, where individuals from across the country came together to reflect on the legacy and future of the organization’s commitment to underserved NYC youth in all five boroughs.
Since its founding in 1971, NYJTL has provided grassroots services to develop the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court. In its first nighttime gala, NYJTL raised a record-breaking $1.4 million in funds that will help scale and accelerate its impact.
The star-studded night honored James Blake and Tory Kiam, and featured many distinguished guests to commemorate NYJTL’s mission such as Mary Carillo, Blair Henley, Pat Kiernan, Michelle Yu, Dennis Kenney, Frederique van der Wal, Caitlin Thompson, and more. The night also featured special appearances from John McEnroe and Wanda Sykes, and concluded with a musical performance from OneUp Duo, a pop group featured on NBC’s The Voice, that had the crowd dancing well into the night.
“The ever-changing circumstances of the pandemic remind us of the urgency of our work,” said NYJTL President & CEO Udai Tambar. “The funds raised last night allow us to provide vital support to meet the evolving needs of our children and their families.”
The funds raised will also help launch the Scholar Athlete Program. This inaugural flagship program will offer high quality, personalized tennis and education instruction to ensure that every student graduates high school, enrolls in college, and achieves their college degree. Core components include tennis and athletic development including 1:1 coaching and fitness training, life skills and character development, academic support through 1:1 tutoring, standardized test preparation, college essay feedback, financial aid counseling, and guidance to students and families throughout the middle school, high school, and college admission processes.
Leading into the gala, NYJTL raised $3.4 million in gifts towards the Scholar Athlete Program, including a foundational $1 million gift from the Pershing Square Foundation, and a $1 million endowment from Stuart Weitzman. This tremendous effort totals $4.8 million during its 50th anniversary campaign and will allow NYJTL to begin its new ambitious programmatic expansion.
The Scholar Athlete Program is set to have a halo effect on all of NYJTL’s tennis and education program offerings. The program targets youth from low-income families.
NYJTL continues to seek donations to support future Scholar Athletes and their long-term success. To learn more about how you can contribute to the work that transforms the lives of underserved NYC youth, please contact Joe Ceriello, Chief Marketing & Development Officer at jceriello@nyjtl.org.
From April 12-17, 2022, New York Junior Tennis & Learning’s (NYJTL) Director of Tennis Ahsha Rolle was selected to assist USTA National Coach Lori Riffice in coaching the Girls 14’s and 16’s USA team in a training camp that ran in conjunction with the Billie Jean King Cup in Asheville, North Carolina. The junior team had a productive week of training and were able to cheer on Team USA to a 3-2 victory. Ukraine’s national team was a skilled opponent and brought the competition down to a deciding doubles match.
“Being able to meet Billie Jean King felt very special to me,” says Rolle. For King, matters of tennis were always much greater than the player. Much of her legacy is characterized by breaking down gender barriers both on and off the court, and the tournament, renamed in her honor in 2020, echoed these sentiments. “I was intrigued to learn that at the age of 11, Billie Jean King’s goal was to be ranked No. 1 in the world because she wanted to positively impact women’s prize money,” Rolle recalls.
In addition to gaining invaluable knowledge from King, the young girls were able to make the most out of the week-long training camp. The girls team endured cold early morning workouts, full days of multiple tennis and fitness sessions, and team building exercises. Rolle, a former touring pro who also previously was a member of the USA Billie Jean King Cup team, had a hands-on role in preparing the young girls for their next tournament. Through the help of Rolle’s coaching, the USA junior girls team learned professionalism, how to overcome adversity in tough environments, and were able to prepare for the upcoming Regional Qualifying for Junior World Championships next month in Mexico. “Working with these girls was a full circle moment for me having competed in the Billie Jean King Cup previously,” said Rolle. “It was memorable being able to use my experiences and influence our youth in a positive way.”
Tournaments like this display the ways in which tennis has the power to bring together the community, even on the international level. Though Team USA was competing against Team Ukraine and eventually won the victory, the tournament was filled with moments of solidarity for Ukraine and its people in light of the ongoing war and violence facing the country. There were many symbolic gestures throughout the competition as Team USA showed their support and celebrated the strength and resiliency of the visiting Ukrainian team. “The solidarity for Ukraine was very powerful,” said Rolle.
NYJTL is proud to have had our very own talented change maker play an important role in training the girls on the junior national team ahead of their international competition next month. She wishes them the best of luck in next month’s tournament!
New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) is proud to announce that USTA Eastern will be a sponsor for the NYJTL Bronx Open this year. The NYJTL Bronx Open will now become only thesecond professional tennis tournament within the calendar year in the Eastern Section alongside the US Open.
The professional women’s $60,000 USTA Challenger tournament will take place from August 14-21, 2022 at NYJTL’s world-class Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in the south Bronx, and will admit spectators at no charge. The tournament expects to draw a field with the same players competing in the US Open Qualifying tournament just two short days later.
“USTA Eastern is thrilled to support the NYJTL Bronx Open as an official sponsor,” said USTA Eastern Executive Director & CEO Jenny Schnitzer. “We are committed to bringing professional tennis to our section and share a common goal with NYJTL to bring as many people into the game as possible, especially young people.”
“We are excited to welcome USTA Eastern to the team for this year’s NYJTL Bronx Open,” said NYJTL President & CEO Udai Tambar. “We know that together we can make the game more accessible to diverse communities and provide the Bronx with the high-quality tennis it deserves.”
The NYJTL Bronx Open will feature a main draw with 32 singles players plus a 16-team doubles’ event and a 32-player qualifying event. The flagship home of NYJTL, the Cary Leeds Center has 20 tennis courts and two additional stadium courts with permanent seating for more than 1,000 spectators, creating an unmatched intimate tennis viewing experience.The Cary Leeds Center, a growing hub in the neighborhood, partners with local schools, police precincts, and local groups to increase access to tennis and strengthen ties among the community.
NYJTL continues to seek community partners and sponsors to elevate the tournament, engage the NYC community, and become a major tennis destination leading up to the US Open.
To learn more about how you can become a part of the event, please contact Tournament Director, Joe Ceriello at jceriello@nyjtl.org
About NYJTL:
The mission of New York Junior Tennis & Learning is to develop the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court. Since 1971, NYJTL has changed lives through tennis, education, healthy living, and character development programs. Today, it is the largest youth tennis and education non-profit in the nation, reaching more than 85,000 K-12 New York City youth.
NYJTL provides after school programming in approximately 30 schools and community tennis programming at approximately 40 sites throughout New York City in the summer months and at additional sites that operate during the school year. In addition, NYJTL designed, funded (with NYC), built and operates the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning, at which it provides free and commercial tennis programming year-round as well as life skills, character development and healthy living lessons. All NYJTL community tennis and after school programs are offered at no cost to its participants.
NYJTL is looking forward to celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022!
Contact: Joe Ceriello
Chief Marketing & Development Officer
jceriello@nyjtl.org
(917) 693-6672
The Mayor Dinkins Cup is the largest free junior interscholastic tennis competition in the nation, with players from all over New York City representing public, parochial, and private schools. Formerly the Mayor’s Cup, New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) renamed the tournament the Mayor Dinkins Cup to honor David N. Dinkins, NYC’s first Black Mayor and NYJTL Board Member for 35 years. This year’s Mayor Dinkins Cup will be held at The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning from May 26 to June 5.
“Renaming the NYJTL Mayor’s Cup in honor of Mayor David N. Dinkins is extra special for our organization as the late Mayor was actively involved in our grassroots efforts, whether it be this championship or at our annual National Essay Contest, throughout his long-standing tenure on our board,” says Udai Tambar, NYJTL CEO & President. “His devotion to the service of NYC childrenand tennis was evident to all that encountered him and I am happy that his life-long passions will continue to be championed through our work. Now every NYC youth will have the opportunity to play in this tournament bearing his name.”
History of Mayor Dinkins Cup
Mayor Dinkins had a longstanding connection with tennis, and a cornerstone of his identity as a public servant was his dedication to diversifying the sport. As an NYJTL Board Member, he championed its work to develop the character of youth through tennis and education free of charge to New York City’s most vulnerable populations.He was a close friend of NYJTL founder Arthur Ashe, and in 1990 wrote in The New York Times:“These programs teach our young people more than just tennis. They reinforce values such as discipline, courteousness, good sportsmanship, team spirit and responsibility. And because many of these programs are held within our schools, they teach our children the importance of a good education and encourage them to stay in school.” In his tenure as the first African-American mayor of the city, he negotiated the deal to create Arthur Ashe Stadium and helped ensure that NYC remained the host of the US Open, cementing the legacy of Ashe and ensuring that this global event stayed in the city.
Working closely with the Public School Athletic League (PSAL), Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA), local private school coaches, and tennis supporters, NYJTL formed a tournament committee which created the unique format of team and individual events in both singles and doubles competitions. With the support of so many, the formerly named NYJTL Mayor’s Cup became a reality in 1988 and has continued to engage the community ever since.
The NYJTL Mayor Dinkins Cup has offered both individual and team competitions for more than 800 elementary, middle, and high school students. Similar to the NCAA Championships, students of all levels have the opportunity to represent their school as well as to compete in individual events.
NYJTL Scholarships
NYJTL’s vision is to enable youth to grow with the game and it is proud to recognize outstanding youth who excel in tennis, academics, and character. Through the newly established Louis Marx, Jr. Educational Scholarship, Victor Kiam “Going For It” Scholarship, and AYS Leadership & Innovation Scholarship, NYJTL is able to recognize exceptional achievement and award college scholarships to outstanding students. NYJTL scholarships will be awarded June 5 at 2 pm at the closing ceremony.
For more information. please visit nyjtl.org/mayor-dinkins-cup/ or contact Tournament Director Michele Cope at mayordinkinscup@nyjtl.org
