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USTA Foundation to celebrate winners of 2025 NJTL Essay Contest during US Open Fan Week

The USTA Foundation today announced the winners of its 2025 National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) Essay Contest, presented by Deloitte. These eight outstanding student-athletes, selected from over 400 entries nationwide, will travel to New York City and participate in a variety of events and activities during US Open Fan Week, culminating with a special luncheon.

The eight winners, all high school-aged students, participate in the USTA Foundation’s flagship NJTL network. Co-created in 1969 by tennis icon Arthur Ashe, along with Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder, the network is a group of over 270 community organizations nationwide that use tennis as a tool to prepare young people from under-resourced communities for the challenges and opportunities of life through sport, academic, career readiness, and mentorship programs.

Over 400 students entered this year’s contest, answering the prompt, “Reflect on a time when you experienced a challenge, setback, or failure. What lessons did you learn, and how did the experience shape your personal growth?”

Each winner and their parent/legal guardian will travel to New York City from Aug. 19, 2025, to Aug. 23, 2025, during which they will have the opportunity to experience parts of US Open Fan Week, including Stars of the Open, visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, see a hit Broadway musical, and participate in an immersive learning experience with representatives from Deloitte. Each essay contest winner will also receive an honorary plaque at a special luncheon at the Yale Club of New York City.

Kids in front of at a museum in New York.

USTA Foundation Essay Contest Weekend visit the USS Intrepid in New York. Photo by Michael Le Brecht II.

“The powerful stories and thoughtful reflections of this year’s NJTL Essay Contest presented by Deloitte winners truly moved and inspired us, and offered a glimpse into the leadership qualities of the young people in our programs across the country,” said USTA Foundation CEO Ginny Ehrlich. “We appreciate the hard work and heart each student put into their responses, and we look forward to celebrating and amplifying their achievements together with their families during US Open Fan Week.”

The eight winners of the 2025 NJTL Essay Contest were selected in the following categories:

Freshmen