By Ashley Marshall, USTA Foundation
A trio of ambassadors who have long supported charitable endeavors across the United States have partnered with the USTA Foundation to serve up dreams through tennis and education.
Bob and Mike Bryan, the winningest men’s doubles team of all time, and award-winning journalist Katie Couric have been appointed to the Foundation’s Celebrity and Player Advisory Council. In this role, they will act as spokespersons to promote the Foundation’s mission and raise money to support its programs.
The Bryans and Couric join the current advisory council consisting of chairman and Emmy-award winning actor Alec Baldwin, world No. 30 Sloane Stephens and former players Jim Courier, Mary Joe Fernandez, Billie Jean King, Todd Martin and Mal Washington.
The threesome is no stranger to supporting humanitarian projects.
In November, the Bryan brothers were awarded the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award at the ATP World Finals. In 2010, they established the Bryan Brothers Foundation and have raised and donated more than $700,000 to youth tennis organizations.
Similarly, Couric (pictured above with USTA Foundation Executive Director Dan Faber) is a co-founder of Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (NCCRA) with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). She is also a co-founder of the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health and an executive producer and narrator of “Fed Up,” a documentary about the alarming spread of childhood obesity.
“We are thrilled and most of all honored to have Katie Couric along with Bob and Mike Bryan join the USTA Foundation’s celebrity and player advisory council,” said James Blake, USTA Foundation Chairman of the Board. “Earlier this year, Katie served as the co-host of our annual Opening Night Gala, and her energy and enthusiasm was surely a driving force that made it such a successful night. It’s great to have someone with such global presence lend their influence and time to support our efforts.”
“As longtime supporters of the USTA Foundation, Bob and Mike spend a great deal of energy taking time out of their successful careers to give back in many ways,” added Blake, who won a Davis Cup championship with the Bryans and Andy Roddick in 2007. “Their achievements off the court are just as admirable as their stellar careers on the court. As two of my closest friends on the circuit, I’m excited to collaborate for the purpose of changing young lives and honored that they will continue to support our mission.”
With 16 men’s doubles Grand Slam titles, 109 career titles, 10 year-end No. 1 rankings and a U.S. record 23 doubles match wins in Davis Cup play, the Bryan brothers are the most successful doubles team in the Open era.
“The USTA Foundation’s mission of helping youth achieve their dreams through tennis and education is an amazing feat,” said Bob Bryan. “Much like what we are working to accomplish with our local foundation, the overall goal is generating positive impact and we are proud to continue those efforts by working with and supporting the USTA Foundation.”
“Tennis and education are the most important factors in our success,” added Mike Bryan. “Prior to our pro careers, we attended Stanford University, so we are proud to be role models and help to get the message out on behalf of the USTA Foundation."
Couric is a New York Times best-selling author and TV personality. In September 2006, she became the first female solo anchor of an evening news broadcast as anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.” Couric joined CBS News after a 15-year run as co-anchor of NBC’s “Today.” She joined Yahoo in 2013 as Yahoo Global News Anchor, where she reports on live world events and anchors groundbreaking interviews with major newsmakers.
“I’m honored to join the USTA Foundation Celebrity and Player Advisory Council,” said Couric. “Being part of the USTA Foundation’s tireless support for programs nationwide that leverage tennis and education to help those in need is an ace serve.”