Princeton University Receives USTA's Featured Facility Of The Year Award
August 27, 2025 | General, Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
The USTA today announced that Princeton University was named the Featured Facility of the Year, the highest honor bestowed by the USTA on a tennis facility. Princeton was one of 45 winners of the USTA's annual Outstanding Facility Awards program, which recognizes excellence in the construction and/or renovation of tennis facilities throughout the country.
All 45 recipients were honored August 26 at an awards reception held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York as part of the 2025 US Open.
Princeton was represented by men's tennis head coach Billy Pate, women's tennis head coach Elizabeth Johnson, Ford Family Director of Athletics John Mack '00 and the University's vice president for capital projects Bill Kale at the awards reception. Later that evening, John Mack was joined by Princeton men's basketball head coach Mitch Henderson '98, a regular tennis player at Meadows, to participate in the official coin toss ahead at Arthur Ashe Stadium ahead of the evening's featured match in the U.S. Open between Coco Gauff and Ajla Tomljanovic.
"Princeton University is honored to be recognized by the USTA as its Featured Facility of the Year," Mack said. "From the moment the project to build a new tennis facility on campus was announced, the goal was to develop a world-class home for the sport that serves the growth and development of athletes of all backgrounds and aptitudes on campus, in New Jersey and across the Middle States region. We feel like we have made great strides toward that goal and will continue to do so as we welcome athletes and coaches from around the world to Princeton for years to come."
Princeton unveiled its new Racquet and Recreation Fieldhouse in November 2024. The new 180,000-square-foot facility includes 18 total tennis courts (nine outdoor; nine indoor) and not only serves as the home of Princeton's varsity men's and women's tennis programs, but also is a hub of campus and community recreation. In addition to the 18 courts, which comprises the Si Qin Family Indoor Tennis Center and the Cordish Family Outdoor Tennis Center, the facility includes athletic performance and sports medicine facilities, a student-athlete lounge, team locker rooms and coaches' offices, as well as a recreational fitness center. Beyond the impact on the university community, the facility hosts a number of USTA events for both juniors and adults and Princeton's tennis coaches offer clinics and other community programming.
"Princeton University is a great example of the many ways investing in world-class tennis facilities can create long-lasting and meaningful impacts on a community," said Theodore Loehrke, Managing Director, Section Partnerships, USTA. "Facilities like this one are integral in the USTA's mission of growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere. We are proud to recognize all 45 of these facilities for their continuing efforts to enhance lives through the sport of tennis."
Facilities were judged on the following criteria: overall layout and adaptation to site; excellence of court surface and lights; ease of maintenance; accommodations for players, spectators and press/officials; aesthetics; graphics (including the use of signs and landscaping); amenities such as casual seating for spectators, food services and social areas; and the facilities' participation in grassroots tennis programs.
Nominated facilities were voted on in the following categories: Public Courts that are either small tennis centers with 2-11 courts or large tennis centers with 12 or more courts; Private Facilities that offer both USTA and public programming designed to help grow tennis (small: 2-11 courts; large: 12 or more courts); and Educational Institutions such as colleges, universities, public and private grade schools, middle schools, or high schools. A new category, Innovation, was added this year to recognize facilities that have been particularly innovative when it comes to delivering tennis. All 2025 award winners will receive a wall plaque and an all-weather sign, which can be mounted at the facility.
All 45 recipients were honored August 26 at an awards reception held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York as part of the 2025 US Open.
Princeton was represented by men's tennis head coach Billy Pate, women's tennis head coach Elizabeth Johnson, Ford Family Director of Athletics John Mack '00 and the University's vice president for capital projects Bill Kale at the awards reception. Later that evening, John Mack was joined by Princeton men's basketball head coach Mitch Henderson '98, a regular tennis player at Meadows, to participate in the official coin toss ahead at Arthur Ashe Stadium ahead of the evening's featured match in the U.S. Open between Coco Gauff and Ajla Tomljanovic.
"Princeton University is honored to be recognized by the USTA as its Featured Facility of the Year," Mack said. "From the moment the project to build a new tennis facility on campus was announced, the goal was to develop a world-class home for the sport that serves the growth and development of athletes of all backgrounds and aptitudes on campus, in New Jersey and across the Middle States region. We feel like we have made great strides toward that goal and will continue to do so as we welcome athletes and coaches from around the world to Princeton for years to come."
Princeton unveiled its new Racquet and Recreation Fieldhouse in November 2024. The new 180,000-square-foot facility includes 18 total tennis courts (nine outdoor; nine indoor) and not only serves as the home of Princeton's varsity men's and women's tennis programs, but also is a hub of campus and community recreation. In addition to the 18 courts, which comprises the Si Qin Family Indoor Tennis Center and the Cordish Family Outdoor Tennis Center, the facility includes athletic performance and sports medicine facilities, a student-athlete lounge, team locker rooms and coaches' offices, as well as a recreational fitness center. Beyond the impact on the university community, the facility hosts a number of USTA events for both juniors and adults and Princeton's tennis coaches offer clinics and other community programming.
"Princeton University is a great example of the many ways investing in world-class tennis facilities can create long-lasting and meaningful impacts on a community," said Theodore Loehrke, Managing Director, Section Partnerships, USTA. "Facilities like this one are integral in the USTA's mission of growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere. We are proud to recognize all 45 of these facilities for their continuing efforts to enhance lives through the sport of tennis."
Facilities were judged on the following criteria: overall layout and adaptation to site; excellence of court surface and lights; ease of maintenance; accommodations for players, spectators and press/officials; aesthetics; graphics (including the use of signs and landscaping); amenities such as casual seating for spectators, food services and social areas; and the facilities' participation in grassroots tennis programs.
Nominated facilities were voted on in the following categories: Public Courts that are either small tennis centers with 2-11 courts or large tennis centers with 12 or more courts; Private Facilities that offer both USTA and public programming designed to help grow tennis (small: 2-11 courts; large: 12 or more courts); and Educational Institutions such as colleges, universities, public and private grade schools, middle schools, or high schools. A new category, Innovation, was added this year to recognize facilities that have been particularly innovative when it comes to delivering tennis. All 2025 award winners will receive a wall plaque and an all-weather sign, which can be mounted at the facility.
Inside Training Camp: Princeton Football 2025
Thursday, September 04
Highlights from 2025 Gary Walters ’67 PVC Awards Banquet
Monday, June 09
Reflections from the Princeton Athletics Class of 2025
Tuesday, May 27
Princeton Athletics 2024-25 Highlights
Tuesday, May 27