Joseph Lee Thompson

October 10, 1948 – September 21, 2026

He spent hours honing his skill after school, hitting a tennis ball against the back of a brick wall with a racquet given to him by a friend. He would bike for miles to ‘the other side of the tracks” to compete against the wealthy kids from private clubs. Joseph did not have access to coaching, so for game theory and strategy, he researched every book he could find in the local library. At 16, he won the Terre Haute Boys’ 18s championship. Joseph continued for two years, undefeated in high school conference play, claiming a top-5 Indiana ranking and earning himself a tennis scholarship to play for Indiana State University.

Tennis paved the way for Joseph to secure a higher education, something few were able to achieve from his “side of the tracks”. He served as the Director of Tennis at Rolling Hills Country Club in Golden for more than 25 years. In the evenings, he earned his Masters in Business Administration, transforming his coaching career into the business of tennis. Joe is a two-time recipient of the Intermountain PTA Professional of the Year award (1983, 1986). In 1987, he received his USPTA Master Professional certification, a distinction held by less than 1.5% of tennis professionals worldwide, and has served on numerous national tennis committees. After receiving the USPTA’s prestigious Alex Gordon Award as America’s top teaching professional in 1998, Joe served as the National President of the USPTA for three consecutive terms (1999-2002). In 2004, Joe was inducted into the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame. His impact was felt by thousands of tennis teaching professionals, many of whom were launched into their careers and carefully mentored by him into success.

See the full obituary here.

USTA Florida Weekly

USTA Florida Leads Nation as Seven Florida Tennis Facilities Honored with 2026 USTA Outstanding Facility Awards

• The Jimmy Evert Tennis Center (Fort Lauderdale) 

• Wellington Tennis Center (Wellington)

• Doral Park Country Club (Doral) 

• Midtown Athletic Club (Weston) 

• The Courts, Cape Coral (Cape Coral) 

• FGCU Tennis Complex (Fort Myers) 

• Rollins Tennis & Golf Center (Winter Park) 

  Read more

Volleybird News

Volleybird, the sport discovery company behind subscription boxes for tennis, pickleball, padel, and golf, just announced three new C-suite hires: Tim Bainton as COO, Mike Knowles as CMO, and Denny Mazur as CRO. All three come with deep racquet sports and golf industry backgrounds, and the hires mark the company's shift from a straight DTC subscription box into a full commercial operation with its own retail and wholesale product lines launching this fall and winter. Read more.

City Parks Foundation

We were thrilled to celebrate our 28th annual City Parks Foundation Billie Jean King Tennis Benefit at the US Open on September 1st, raising more than $470,000 to support our free CityParks Tennis youth program in parks while honoring tennis legend Kim Clijsters and marketing executive Peter Hurley. 

It is because of Billie Jean King’s dedication to our free tennis programs that we have been able to reach 5,000 kids each year in neighborhood parks where access to no-cost sports is otherwise hard to come by. Our honoree Peter said it best: “Use your gift of influence — open one more door, give one more child an opportunity, help someone discover something inside themselves they didn't know was there — because somewhere among those 5,000 City Parks kids may be the next Billie Jean King.” To learn more, visit us here. 

Davis Cup Qualifiers 2nd Round in Germany had 14,000 spectators

High School Football - Nationwide Cancellations

When a friend (who is an RSPA Master Professional) sent me the below article, I had to admit that I wasn’t aware there is a storm brewing in High School football.

High schools across America abruptly cancel varsity football season due to injury fears and ‘lack of players’

The author writes that “HIGH school football programs across America have been forced to abruptly cancel their varsity seasons.” He adds, “New York is one of 37 states to see a decline in its high school football enrollment, according to USA Today.” After mentioning that this “trend is the opposite in the South, as many states are seeing an uptick in enrollment,” he writes that “Many of the schools losing players have done so due to injury fears.”

My friend added a remark that made me think - and put this article under THE GOOD. He said, “I don't know if this is a reputable source.  If it is true, it might bring a bunch of changes.  Could there be opportunities for tennis?”

What do our readers think? Send me an email.

Sports Business Journal reported SFIA report: Flag football, padel push sports participation in the U.S. to an all-time high. The author writes that “For the 12 months ending June 2026, 81.3% of Americans actively participated in a sport, up from 80.5% in 2025, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s mid-year report.”

He also writes that “Padel participation was up 14.5%, making it the fastest-growing activity in this report.” However, Pickleball’s growth has cooled somewhat. “After five straight years as SFIA’s fastest-growing sport, pickleball is up just 1.3% this half.”

From USTA Florida News: The USTA has awarded a $6,600 Tennis Venue Services grant to the David Ensignia Tennis Academy.

The grant will be used for the addition of live streaming technology supporting eight 78-foot tennis courts at Continental Tennis Center. The academy will install the Save My Play system, the same technology currently used at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, bringing tournament streaming, match analytics, and video-based player development tools to the facility.

The project is in its final planning phase, with installation targeted for completion by mid-October, ahead of the Junior Orange Bowl U.S. Wild Card Series Qualifier at Continental Tennis Center. Read more.

The article on AOL read: US Open stars delivered brutal reality check as women's tennis financial crisis looms

The author, Joseph McBride, writes, “The WTA Tour is on the verge of a financial crisis, with the organization at risk of going broke by the end of 2027 if operational losses continue.” He quotes an article in The Telegraph, “Women’s tennis tour risks running out of money. Exclusive: Termination of Finals event in Saudi Arabia as well as end of investment from CVC could plunge WTA into the red in 2027”

• An estimated $15 million in cash will be remaining by the end of the year.

• Operational losses for 2026 are projected to be $23 million

MY TAKE: I wonder what happened to the $120 million CVC paid already? The last instalment of $30 million will help with those operational losses next year, but the organization can’t always count on new investors to bail them out. They have to become profitable all by themselves. Tightening the belt this year is a good start.

Last month, I reported on the Barnes Tennis Center’s problems with the City of San Diego wanting to turn their overflow parking lot into affordable housing: SAN DIEGO BARNES TENNIS CENTER IN DISTRESS.

In the meantime, the plot thickened. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, in addition to the proposal to redevelop its parking lot, the Barnes Tennis Center is enjoying a heavily discounted lease and is accused of unpermitted construction.

The Low-Cost Lease

• Priced from 1994: The nonprofit Youth Tennis San Diego pays just $600 a year ($50 a month) for the 12-acre public property.

• Rising revenue: While facility revenues have grown by 400%, the lease amount has not changed.

• Expiration: The 35-year lease ends on June 30, 2029, prompting the city to seek a renegotiated deal with revenue sharing.

Parking Lot and Permit Violations

• Unpermitted grading: A city auditor fraud investigation found that the facility's back overflow parking lot was built without proper permits on protected open space.

• Misused funds: The report claims over $400,000 in grant money was used illegally for this unapproved lot.

• Ignored notices: Investigators state that city stop-work and stop-use notices were ignored over the years.

Affordable Housing Proposal

• Master plan target: The city's Affordable Home Development Master Plan identified the center's unpaved overflow parking lot as one of 11 potential sites for new housing.

• Community pushback: Facility users and operators warn that losing the parking lot would choke access for the thousands of weekly visitors attending national tennis, pickleball, and padel events.

• City response: The Gloria administration is demanding code compliance and explanations for spending, though officials emphasize that the housing sites are currently only under study with no final decisions made.

MY TAKE: It looks to me like the City of San Diego is on a vendetta at a time when they are dealing with a $140 million structural budget deficit. They are obviously leaving no stone unturned to get their hands on money. The fact that there are some independent, revenue-generating firms on the premises, like Pickleball and Padel businesses, doesn’t help, either. Like, when you call the Barnes Tennis Center’s main phone line (619) 221-9000, it’s being answered with “Barnes Tennis Center and Taktika Padel.” Used to be just “Youth Tennis San Diego.”

I know how big an impact the Barnes Tennis Center has on tennis in the city and all of the region. I hope they don’t destroy it and its legacy. If they only pay $600 a year, so what? The city should have negotiated better in 1994. Don’t you think?

I will keep you posted on further developments.

The email came in on September 15: USTA Coaching. The Online Shop Is Open.

The text says:

Stocking your courts and outfitting your pros with top-tier gear just got easier. We're excited to announce that the official USTA Coaching Shop is now open.

MY TAKE: While competitive pricing is always attractive, it is important to note the USTA’s ongoing pattern of competing directly with established racquet sports entities. From challenging national organizations like the RSPA and PTR, to local initiatives that undermine independent clubs—as previously reported—to launching the WTN to counter UTR’s rating system, the organization consistently prioritizes commercial growth. Despite its non-profit status, challenging its tax standing remains financially prohibitive for most industry stakeholders.

Shame on you, USTA.

Thunderdome of Conspicuous Consumption & Corporate Pillaging

Flushing Meadows has officially shed its skin as a tennis tournament and fully transitioned into what the United States Tennis Association (USTA) seemingly always wanted: a dynamic-pricing thunderdome of conspicuous consumption. It is a late-summer festival of corporate pillaging where the tennis is merely background noise to the synchronized tapping of TikTok notifications and the rhythmic swiping of corporate Amex cards.

The Cost of Free Real Estate

But if you truly want to understand the beautiful, twisted math of the modern US Open, look no further than its ticket policy. According to the USTA’s strict fiscal discipline, any child who has successfully hit their second birthday requires a full-priced adult ticket.

Kids two years and older pay full adult ticket prices.

A two-year-old toddler—weighing roughly 28 pounds, possessing zero disposable income, and spending 40% of the match crying at the sound of tennis shoes squeaking—is viewed by tournament organizers as an economic squatter. That child is taking up valuable real estate that could otherwise be sold to a genuine Ticketmaster scalper for the price of a used Honda Civic. Thus, the Toddler Tax is fiercely enforced. If your kid can utter a compound sentence, you must pay the same $360 grounds-pass entry fee as the corporate lawyer sitting three rows ahead of you.

The Double-Dipping Non-Profit Syndicate

Publicly, the organization plays the victim. Behind closed doors, it looks like they are laughing all the way to the bank.

As senior writer Jon Wertheim exposed in his investigation for Sports Illustrated, the USTA has structured a flawless double-dipping machine. The "non-profit" cartel collects revenue when the ticket is originally minted, and then extracts a second financial pound of flesh—a lucrative fee "scrape"—the exact moment that same ticket gets flipped to a desperate family on the secondary market via Ticketmaster. They aren't trying to fix the broken system; they are actively collecting kickbacks on it.

Welfare for the Ultra-Rich

Contrast this brutal, cold-blooded efficiency with the USTA’s beautiful, ongoing acts of charity toward the historically marginalized: Hollywood celebrities, sports icons, and multi-millionaire influencers.

While a middle-class family of four forks over a month’s rent just to sit close enough to smell the $38 pastrami-and-fries combos, the USTA operates an elite, full-time squad of celebrity handlers. Their sole job is to scout private jet terminals, intercept A-listers, and guide them safely away from the peasants. From there, the wealthy are escorted into the air-conditioned sanctuary of the President’s Suite. There, they are forced—at absolutely no cost to themselves—to endure complimentary five-course meals, open bars, and bottomless Honey Deuce cocktails.

Celebrities are being wined and dined for free, but your toddler pays full price!

Betting on Greed: How the US Open Turned Fans Into Cash Cows

Your ticket purchase is effectively like a signed permission slip for a multi-billion-dollar trading exchange to swap your personal data for a never-ending circle of corporate cash. You aren't just the customer; you, your data, and your two-year-old child are the ultimate product being packaged, priced, and sold to the highest bidder.

The message from the country-club cartel running the tournament is loud and clear:

If you are rich and famous, your money is no good here. If you are an average citizen trying to introduce your kid to the sport, you better hope that toddler has a solid line of credit.

But perhaps this is the exact, unhinged energy the tournament organizers want. After all, nothing encapsulates the modern Flushing Meadows experience quite like sitting in the upper deck, watching a TikTok influencer get ejected for disrupting a critical break point to film a hair-care transition video, all while a thick, unmistakable cloud of marijuana smoke drifts over from Flushing Meadows-Corona Park to blanket the court below. It is a beautiful, expensive, and deeply corporate simulation—and you are paying full price just to breathe it in.

Place Your Bets: How Much Will a Ticket to the US Open Cost Next Year?

• Mirror US: Madison Keys responds to 'absurd' US Open ticket prices with 'big show' comments

• New York Times: The U.S. Open Is Now a Food Festival With a Side of Tennis

• USA TODAY: A 3:33 am finish at the US Open isn't history. It's a problem.

• Javier Palenque on LinkedIn: PETER BODO LOOKED INTO TENNIS’S ABYSS—AND SAID GOODBYE

• Reuters: Alcaraz calls for end to late-night finishes at Grand Slams

• The Oswegonian: US Open forces luxury in public event:

  “Recently, the annual U.S. Open has faced scrutiny over steep admission and food prices, which discouraged many from attending. According to reporting from The New York Times and Reuters, general admission tickets averaged around $300, with grounds passes hovering near $350 on resale platforms.

  Billionaires and everyday spectators alike have questioned how these raised prices align with the values of the United States Tennis Association. The USTA describes the Open’s nonprofit mission as sharing the game with everyone. But with prices like these, “everyone” effectively means “anyone who can afford it,” which excludes a significant portion of the public.

  The issue with this uptick in event pricing is bigger than some may think. Shared experiences are vital to community life, and separating who can attend based on cost only deepens existing divides. When participation becomes a luxury, connection becomes unaffordable and communities lose something essential.”

• Daily Playbook:

2026 U.S. Open Claims Record 1.2M Fans While Withholding Exact Data

• The tournament's organizer, the United States Tennis Association, reported 1.2M total fans, driven by 300K attendees at a free preview week. 

• Officials withheld exact attendance figures, making it impossible to verify if the main event actually grew this year. 

• Expanding to three weeks helps organizers manage severe overcrowding while boosting overall sales and offering cheaper tickets.
  

Daily Playbook

2026 U.S. Open Claims Record 1.2M Fans While Withholding Exact Data

• The tournament's organizer, the United States Tennis Association, reported 1.2M total fans, driven by 300K attendees at a free preview week. 

• Officials withheld exact attendance figures, making it impossible to verify if the main event actually grew this year. 

• Expanding to three weeks helps organizers manage severe overcrowding while boosting overall sales and offering cheaper tickets.

“The U.S. Open is not supposed to be a playground for people who can spend money or post the best picture. It is supposed to be New York City’s Grand Slam. 

If the people who inhabit this great city can no longer afford to go or see themselves in this game, then this tournament has lost something more important than local charm. It has lost the community that makes the Grand Slam feel like a Grand Slam.”

From the September 23 article, The US Open Has Become Too Open
The Fordham Observer (Fordham University, NYC)