Agreement with Miami-Dade County restores full hours and supports local play
ORLANDO, FL, December 23, 2025 – USTA Florida announced today that it has entered into a formal agreement with Miami-Dade County to operate the Crandon Park Tennis Center beginning January 16. The license to do business will allow the organization to restore court hours and availability to previous levels and offer additional public programs and plays in the future.
“Crandon Park Tennis Center has long been a cornerstone of Miami’s tennis and recreation community,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “This partnership with USTA Florida, an organization born right here in Miami, allows us to restore full access to the courts, support local schools and players, and preserve an iconic public space for our residents as we continue to plan for its future.”
“When this project first came to our board, it was never a question of whether we would help. Our organization was born in Miami. Our mission is to grow the game. Everyone on our team knows this is the right thing to do, and we are willing to roll up our sleeves and deliver. We are here to meet and exceed those expectations,” said Chuck Gill, President of USTA Florida.
“We are excited to partner with Miami-Dade County to provide full operational services that will facilitate greater access to the tennis courts and programs. Crandon Tennis Center is an important hub for Florida Tennis. We want to embrace everyone who wants to play at this historic venue,” said Laura Bowen, Executive Director of USTA Florida.
Under the one-year permit to do business, USTA Florida will take over operations for Crandon Tennis Center on Jan. 16e. The nonprofit is working with the county and existing service partners to transition existing programs. Court fees and program costs are not expected to change. USTA Florida is also working on a new web presence, which will be operational in early January, allowing players and public organizations to easily book courses and programs in one place. Once on site in mid-January, USTA Florida will deploy its current team of employees and volunteers to directly operate the facility, and will work within the community to determine what additional public play opportunities would be most beneficial to implement at the tennis center. The company is now seeking a full-time Site Director and additional on-site team members to fully support these needs.
“We know how important this facility and the courts are to the broader community. Local high schools and other constituents rely on them to be available and cared for. Our team is eager to work with these and others to provide our full support and resources to strengthen the services available to county residents in the coming year,” Bowen added.
USTA Florida has appointed an interim management team to operate the site for the first 30 days. Bowen will lead that team directly from Miami, which consists of USTA Florida employees and volunteers who have direct ties to the area and bring a wealth of experience in sports, tennis program coordination and facilities management. This team will operate the site for the first few months and engage directly with stakeholders to listen and learn.
“We are excited to partner with USTA Florida to restore access to the tennis facilities at the Crandon Park Tennis Center. This partnership will allow us to ensure these courts remain open and accessible to residents and visitors for the coming year as we continue to work on long-term solutions that support tennis, recreation and community use at this iconic park,” said Christina White, director of Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces.
For more information about USTA Florida’s work in public parks, visit ustaflorida.com. To share your views on Crandon Tennis Center or to make a request for tennis courts or to play, please email crandonpark@ustaflorida.com.
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About USTA Florida: Founded in 1949, USTA Florida is a division of the United States Tennis Association. It is a non-profit, volunteer organization with approximately 40,000 members, 500 organizational members and a budget of $7 million. As the official governing body for tennis in Florida, USTA Florida operates from an executive office in Orlando, with more than 30 staff members and more than 600 volunteers throughout the state working on a mission to promote and develop tennis for all in Florida. For more information about USTA, visit Florida www.USTAFlorida.com.
For more information please contact: Laura Bowen, Executive Director, USTA Florida: bowen@ustaflorida.com
USTA FLORIDA STEPS FORWARD TO OPERATE CRANDON PARK TENNIS CENTER
Agreement with Miami-Dade County restores full schedules and supports local tennis
ORLANDO, FL, December 23, 2025 – USTA Florida announced today that it has entered into a formal agreement with Miami-Dade County to operate the Crandon Park Tennis Center effective January 16. The operating permit allows the organization to restore tennis court hours and availability to previous levels, and to offer additional public programs and playing opportunities in the future.
“The Crandon Park Tennis Center has long been a mainstay of Miami’s tennis and recreation community,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “This partnership with USTA Florida, an organization born right here in Miami, allows us to restore full access to tennis courts, support local schools and players, and preserve an iconic public space for our residents as we continue to plan for its future.”
“When this project first came to our board, it was never a question of whether we might come in and help. Our organization was born in Miami. Our mission is to grow the sport of tennis. Everyone on our team knows what this means in the sport and we are ready to roll up our sleeves and deliver. We are here to meet and exceed those expectations,” said Chuck Gill, President of USTA Florida.
“We are excited to partner with Miami-Dade County to provide full operational services that enable greater access to courts and programs. Crandon Tennis Center is an important hub for tennis in Florida. We are committed to welcoming all who want to play at this historic venue,” said Laura Bowen, CEO of USTA Florida.
Under the annual operating permit, USTA Florida will take over operations of the Crandon Tennis Center on January 16. The nonprofit is working with the county and existing service partners to transition existing programs. It is expected that course and program costs will not change. USTA Florida is also developing a new website, which will go live in early January, that will allow players and public organizations to easily reserve courses and programs in one place. Once USTA Florida is established in mid-January, it will deploy its current team of employees and volunteers to directly operate the facility, and will work with the community to determine what additional opportunities would be most beneficial to provide at the tennis center. It is currently
recruiting a full-time tennis director and additional on-site team members to fully support these needs.
“We know how important these facilities and fields are to the community at large. Local high schools and others depend on them being available and well maintained. Our team is eager to work with these and others to provide our full support and resources to strengthen the services available to Miami-Dade residents in the coming year,” Bowen added.
USTA Florida has appointed an interim management team to operate the site for the first 30 days. Bowen will lead that team directly from Miami, which consists of USTA Florida employees and volunteers with direct ties to the area and extensive experience in the sport of tennis, program coordination and facilities management. This team will operate the site for the first few months and engage directly with stakeholders to listen and learn.
“We are excited to partner with USTA Florida to restore access to the tennis facilities at the Crandon Park Tennis Center. This partnership will allow us to ensure these courts remain open and accessible to residents and visitors for the coming year as we continue to work on long-term solutions that support tennis, recreation and community use at this iconic park,” said Christina White, Director of Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces for Miami-Dade County.
For more information about USTA Florida and involvement in public parks, visit www.ustaflorida.com. To share your comments about the Crandon Tennis Center or to request courts and playing times, please email crandonpark@ustaflorida.com.
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About USTA Florida: Founded in 1949, USTA Florida is a division of the United States Tennis Association. It is a non-profit, volunteer organization with approximately 40,000 individual members, 500 organizational members and a budget of $7 million. As the official governing body for tennis in Florida, USTA Florida operates from an executive office in Orlando, with more than 30 employees and more than 600 volunteers statewide working with the mission to promote and develop tennis for all in Florida. For more information about USTA Florida, visit: ustaflorida.com
For more information, please contact: Laura Bowen, Executive Director, USTA Florida: bowen@ustaflorida.com
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