Play Tennis Gainesville hosted a special weekend of tennis and community at the Joyce Oransky Tennis Center, combining a junior tournament with a Juneteenth Picnic that brought together players, families and community members for a celebration both on and off the court. 

The Juneteenth Picnic, held alongside the tournament on Saturday, featured food, games and activities for everyone in attendance. Tournament participants and their families had the chance to enjoy some fun between matches, and community members came out to join in the festivities. The response was overwhelming, with players and parents requesting more events like it in the future. 

The event was a testament to the Play Tennis Gainesville and USTA Florida, who continue to find meaningful ways to involve and engage the community at the facility. The efforts helped make the day a huge success and a reminder of the role public tennis centers play in bringing people together. 

Tournament Results 

On the courts, junior players competed across five divisions over the weekend at the Joyce Oransky Tennis Center. 

Boys’ 18s 

Matthew D’silva earned the Boys’ 18s title with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory over Brennan Skelding in Sunday’s final. D’silva was impressive throughout the draw, upsetting second-seeded Donovan Brown 6-1, 6-0 in the quarterfinals and dispatching Mitchell Cornett 6-1, 6-0 in the semifinals. Skelding had a memorable run of his own, knocking off top-seeded Daniil Bondarenko in a three-set semifinal, 4-6, 7-5, [10-6], before falling in the championship match. 

Boys’ 16s 

The Boys’ 16s division was played in a round-robin format. Sam Dirain of Gainesville went undefeated at 4-0 to claim the top spot, dropping just one set across his four matches. Cade Carroll of Saint Augustine finished second at 3-1, followed by Ricardo Toa in third at 2-2. 

Girls’ 16s 

Amanda Garcia claimed the Girls’ 16s crown with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Evelyn Dunton in the final. Garcia was strong throughout the draw, upsetting top-seeded Riley Fileger in the quarterfinals 6-2, 6-4 and cruising past Madelyn Goodson in the semifinals 6-3, 6-1. Dunton earned her finals spot by taking down second-seeded Bella Freeman in the semis 6-2, 6-2, after a 6-0, 6-0 quarterfinal win over Kaiya Thompson. 

Boys’ 14s 

Brady Ellard captured the Boys’ 14s title after Steven Watson withdrew from the final. Ellard reached the championship match by defeating Austin Liu 6-1, 6-0 in the quarterfinals and advancing past second-seeded Andrew Atohi in the semifinals after Atohi withdrew due to injury. Watson had earned his finals berth with a dominant 6-0, 6-3 semifinal win over Nolan Monari, who pulled off the upset of the draw by knocking off top-seeded Cody Li 7-6(3), 6-4 in the quarterfinals. 

Girls’ 14s 

The Girls’ 14s was also contested in round-robin play. Leila Ghiaseddin of Gainesville dominated the field, going a perfect 5-0 and dropping just eight games across 10 sets. Carolina Atohi and Kate Furst, both of Gainesville, finished tied at 3-2 for second and third, respectively. 

The Juneteenth weekend at Play Tennis Gainesville was a celebration of community, competition and the power of tennis to bring people together. Events like these showcase what USTA Florida-managed facilities can be at their best — not just places to play, but places to belong.