"It's not only about the tennis, its also about the education ... We are just trying to help their dreams come true."
On a night that honored some of the world's most famous athletes, USTA Foundation chairperson Chris Evert took center stage. The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion was honored at the ESPYs this week with the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award, an annual honor given by ESPN that celebrates those who help under-resourced communities through sports.
Watch the full video tribute to Evert in the clip below.
Evert has been with the USTA Foundation, the national charitable arm of the USTA, as chairperson since 2019. In her tenure, she's overseen the organization's last two major fundraising campaigns in support of the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network. In 2020, the Rally to Rebuild campaign raised more than $5 million in support of NJTLs impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, while Rally for the Future, its successor, launched last year. With a $20 million target over the next three years, Rally for the Future is the largest single fundraising campaign in the 27-year history of the USTA Foundation.
The USTA Foundation supports nearly 300 NJTL chapters that have paired tennis and educational programming to transform the lives of youth around the country. To date, the USTA Foundation has awarded approximately $56 million in grants and scholarships.
It's a mission that Evert has taken to heart.
Read more: Chris Evert to be honored by ESPN at 2022 Sports Humanitarian Awards
"I enjoy being a mentor," she added. "I want to talk to the kids about pressure and about winning and about humility and about how lucky they are to find a sport that they love."