USTA Pro Circuit Wraps Successful 35th Anniversary Season

December 19, 2014 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Stefan_Kozlov (2)
Photo credit: Calvin Rhoden

The USTA Pro Circuit, the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2014 by featuring 87 events, awarding nearly $3 million in total prize money and seeing several American players produce notable results.

This year, the USTA Pro Circuit included a record 36 tournaments held on clay. In conjunction with USTA Player Development, the Pro Circuit continues to emphasize the importance of increased training and competition for younger players on clay, particularly at the $10,000/$25,000 level for women and $10,000/$15,000 level for men.

Live streaming continued for the second year for all 16 USTA Pro Circuit men’s Challengers (prize money of $50,000 and higher) at www.procircuit.usta.com. In addition, 13 of the 14 women’s tournaments with prize money of $50,000 or more were streamed live in 2014.

For the first time in one year, USTA Player Development awarded wild cards into three of the four Grand Slam events—the 2014 French Open, the 2014 US Open and the 2015 Australian Open—based on players’ results on the USTA Pro Circuit. (The wild cards were awarded to the American man and woman who amassed the greatest number of ATP and WTA ranking points in a set number of USTA Pro Circuit events). Teenager Taylor Townsend and veteran Robby Ginepri earned main draw wild cards into the French Open by winning the Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge, with Townsend advancing to the second round at Roland Garros. Two-time NCAA singles champion Nicole Gibbs earned a U.S. Open wild card and achieved her career-best Grand Slam result by advancing to the third round; Wayne Odesnik earned the U.S. Open men’s wild card. And Irina Falconi and Denis Kudla will both compete in the 2015 Australian Open after winning this fall’s Australian Open Wild Card Challenge.

Notable records and storylines of 2014 included:

►U.S. men and women won more than half of the singles titles this year. American men won 26 titles, the most of any country, while the American women won 21 titles, also the most of any country.

►American Kelly Chen was the youngest women’s singles champion of 2014 at 15 years, two months, 18 days, and the youngest champion since Nicole Vaidisova in 2004.

►Sixteen-year-old Stefan Kozlov reached the final of the $50,000 Sacramento Challenger (losing to Sam Querrey), becoming the youngest American to reach a Challenger final since Andre Agassi in 1986.

►American Michael Mmoh was the youngest men’s singles champion of 2014 at 16 years, nine months, 16 days, after winning the singles title at the $15,000 Futures in Brownsville, Texas. He also became the fifth-youngest singles champion in USTA Pro Circuit history with the win. Also, Mmoh was ranked 1,442nd in the world prior to winning in Brownsville, making him the lowest-ranked singles champion of 2014.

►Current world number 35 Sam Querrey was the 2014 USTA Pro Circuit men’s prize money leader with $36,000. He won three consecutive Challengers this fall (Napa, Sacramento, Tiburon) to claim that honor. Five of the top 10 men on the prize money list in 2014 were Americans.

►Querrey also won the most singles titles of any man this season, with three. He also won the title in Sacramento while ranked 47th in the world, making him the highest-ranked singles champion in USTA Pro Circuit history.  

►Madison Brengle was the 2014 women’s prize money leader with more than $31,000 in earnings, which ranks sixth all-time in prize money won in a single season. The top seven women on the prize money list in 2014 were Americans.

►Romania’s Edina Gallovits-Hall, was the oldest singles champion of 2014 at 29 years, 10 months, 30 days, winning the $50,000 event in Captiva Island, Fla. She is now tied for first all-time in USTA Pro Circuit singles titles with 13 (with Kristina Brandi).


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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