USTA Foundation launches Williams Family Excellence Program at 2025 US Open

Excellence was on full display in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night—not only in the women’s semifinal competition, but also in between matches, when the USTA Foundation announced the launch of the Williams Family Excellence Program, in partnership with Venus and Serena Williams.

Inspired by the groundbreaking careers of Venus and Serena Williams—whose dominance in tennis is matched only by their cultural impact—the Williams Family Excellence Program brings their story full circle. By blending the Williams family's enduring commitment to excellence with the USTA Foundation’s mission to combine tennis and education, the initiative will provide unprecedented access and support to young people across the country.

“This initiative stands as a living legacy to the Williams family—a tribute not only to Venus and Serena’s extraordinary achievements on the court, but to the unwavering determination, sacrifice, and resilience that define their family’s journey,” said Kathleen Wu, President of the USTA Foundation Board of Directors. 

“They didn’t just break barriers—they paved a new road. And now, through this Initiative, that road will remain open for generations of young people from under-resourced communities, giving them the tools, the inspiration, and the opportunity to pursue greatness in all areas of life.”

Three pillars will be central to the success of this program over the next ten years. They include: 

• Excellence Team “Accelerating Excellence of Future Champions” — USTA Foundation community-based organizations will continue to identify, track, and recruit young people from under-resourced communities with the greatest desire, athletic potential, and financial need and provide them with no-cost or low-cost high-performance training, college recruitment guidance, and access to camps and competitions.
  
  

• College Scholarships and Player Grants “Facilitating Excellence Through Higher Education” — Core to the current structure and strategy of the USTA Foundation, this will continue to focus on increasing the number of scholarship opportunities for older youth so that they can achieve their educational and tennis goals.
  
  

• Internships and Entrepreneurships “Unlocking Excellence in Career Advancement” — The Williams Family Excellence Program will expand on the USTA Foundation’s already established Career Pathways Program, which focuses on positioning young people to teach the next generation of leaders how to excel in multiple areas of their lives, by training their bodies and minds. This internship and entrepreneur program will provide young people with the opportunity to learn life lessons and lead from the baseline to the boardroom. 

“Venus and Serena Williams have inspired millions of people to play tennis, but their impact goes far beyond trophies and titles,” said Brian Vahaly, Chairman of the Board and President, interim Co-CEO, USTA. “They changed the game in culture, fashion, and business, and their story is one of courage and resilience. This program will carry that legacy forward by giving young people the same sense of possibility that the Williams family has given all of us.”

The Williams Family Excellence Program will build upon the work of the USTA Foundation, which supports 300 community-based programs offering tennis, education, and mentorship to more than 200,000 young people from under-resourced communities in 2025 alone.