We celebrated some outstanding doubles tennis at the club with the Women’s Open Doubles Championship and the Men’s 65 & Over Doubles. Congratulations to all the players for the spirited competition, great sportsmanship, and plenty of memorable moments!

Lisa Allison & Linda Burtis (1) won the Women's Open Doubles ChChampionship against Sonam Sherpa & Jessica Hayashi (2).

James Axford & Pat Bologna (1) won the Men's 65 Doubles Championship against Shrikant Parekh & Mark Culotti (3)

Congratulations to Betty Lin for winning the Women's Open Singles in a tiebreaker against Sonam Sherpa, the defending champion! Great job to both players!

There was plenty of power on the courts this morning—not just in the serves and forehands, but in the spirit, determination, and camaraderie of the women who came out to play.

With the U.S. Open showcasing some incredible women’s matches this week, it’s a great reminder of the strength, resilience, and competitive spirit women bring to sports at every level.

That same spirit was on display at the club this morning as women took to the courts to compete, connect, encourage one another, and enjoy the game.

Strong women. Strong competition. Strong community.

Here’s to the power of women in sports—one point, one match, and one morning on the court at a time.

CLICK HERE to see some of our women in action.

On Saturday, September 19, ATC will host its annual fundraiser for 15-Love, a not-for-profit that uses tennis as a medium to provide programming on literacy, healthy living, college prep, and STEM education to inner-city youth.

We have partnered with 15-Love for several years now and hope to make this year’s event even more successful.

This year will be extra special as we will also celebrate Larry Yakubowski’s 20 years of service to ATC. Larry recently stepped down as manager of the club and will soon be moving to Rhinebeck to be closer to family. Combining the 15-Love fundraiser with a celebration of Larry’s service is a natural fit. Using tennis to build a happier, healthier, and stronger community is what Larry is all about.

Please join us on September 19 (rain date: Sunday, September 20) beginning at 12:30 pm at the ATC courts to help raise funds for 15-Love and to wish Larry well moving forward. We are asking for donations of $25 or more for 15-Love (we will gladly accept donations greater than $25!). We will provide food and drink at the party. And it wouldn’t be a proper send-off for Larry without a community doubles event.

If you plan on attending, RSVP to Chris Bradt (albanytennischris@gmail.com) and tell him (1) that you will be attending and (2) whether you will be playing tennis (the tennis will likely go from 2 to 4 pm, but if you can’t stay the whole time, that is ok as well).

Hope to see you there!

You’ve seen Harry at the club. In the early morning hours getting the courts ready to play. Or throughout the day working on issues with the courts or facilities. He always has a greeting, always a smile, and always fixing something.

Harry has been playing tennis all his life, has been a member of ATC for five years, and has worked at the club for the last three-plus years.

“I want to be as valuable to the club as I can,” Harry said.

Why are the nets always at the correct height? Because Harry checks and adjusts them. He also, along with Steve Beditz, replaced the net winches with a safer option that’s easier to use.

When the new court irrigation system went in last year, Harry worked tirelessly to fill the swales around the heads and the low spots where the trenches were dug. He’s studied what makes an excellent clay court playing surface and has learned how to roll the courts, how much to water them (and when), and how to adjust and optimize the water pressure coming from the sprinkler heads.

“I would always listen to our members,” Harry said. “If they were experiencing problems with the courts or facility, I wanted to know about it, and I wanted to take care of it.”

You might call Harry a “Jack of All Trades.” His long career will attest to that. From serving in the United States Air Force as a heavy equipment mechanic to working in sales at Granger, from installing chimney liners to being in the lumber business, Harry has seen a lot, experienced a lot, and knows how to get a job done. Along the way, he raised a family and now has six grandchildren.

Many thanks from all of us at ATC to Harry. The club runs better when he’s fixing things.

A big thank-you to our two staff members, Nicholas Demarco and Daryl King, out there helping with the weeding!

If any of our tennis club members would be interested in lending a hand with some weeding, we’d really appreciate the extra help. Every bit makes a difference in keeping our grounds looking their best!

Interested in helping? Please email me!
albanytennischris@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone who helps make our club such a great place to be!

On Sunday, our court attendant Declan Chirlin returned to college. Have a great school year, Declan! 

For many Albany Tennis Club players, our new manager, Chris Bradt, is a familiar face. Although he has only been back in the manager’s position for a month, his history with the ATC goes back years. His experience as a teaching professional and previous time managing the club have given him a unique perspective on both the tennis side of the ATC and the day-to-day experience of running the club.

Now, he’s excited to bring that experience back to the ATC and help build on everything that makes the club special.

Community First

When asked what excites him most about returning to the manager’s role, his answer is centered on community.

“The ATC has always been about community, and I’m excited to support and grow that community,” he says.

He looks forward to continuing the great programming that Larry Yakubowski ran at the club, while also introducing some new programs and events of his own.

One of the things he enjoys most about working at the ATC is introducing new people to tennis and to the club. As manager, he hopes to continue welcoming new players and helping them become part of the ATC community.

A Vision for the Future

One of his primary goals is to grow the club’s membership. He believes bringing new members into the ATC is an important part of helping the club thrive and building a strong future.

At the same time, he wants the club to be a place where everyone feels welcome. His vision is to create an environment where players of all abilities can find their place and feel that they have a tennis home at the ATC.

With experience as both a teaching professional and a manager, he understands the club from several perspectives. He knows the game, he knows the ATC, and he knows the importance of creating an enjoyable experience for the people who walk through the doors.

Life Beyond the Tennis Court

When he’s not at the ATC, he stays busy as a competitive distance runner and enjoys training for races. He also enjoys hiking, reading, and playing the piano.

His competitive spirit and love of staying active clearly extend well beyond tennis!

A Few Quick Questions

We asked him a few quick questions to help members get to know him a little better:

Singles or doubles? Both!

Favorite professional tennis player? Roger Federer

Favorite Grand Slam tournament? Wimbledon

Coffee before tennis or after? After—but only decaf!

One word that describes his management style? Teamwork

Looking Ahead

While his return to the manager’s role is still relatively new, his connection to the ATC is anything but. Having been part of the club for years, he brings years of experience and familiarity to his new chapter.

He’s excited about what lies ahead and, most importantly, about the people who make the ATC what it is.

“The club has a bright future, and I look forward to sharing that future with old and new members alike!”

We’re happy to have a familiar face back at the helm and look forward to an exciting future at the Albany Tennis Club.

I'm excited to announce the annual Albany Tennis Club Championships, which will run from Saturday, August 29th to Sunday, September 13th. The ATC has a long history of exciting tournament play, and this year promises to continue the tradition!

This is a schedule-your-own match tournament that features the following seven exciting draws:

• Women's Singles
• Men's Singles
• Women's Doubles
• Men's Doubles
• Mixed Doubles
• Women's 60 & Older Doubles
• Men's 65 & Older Doubles

Here is important information (please read carefully):

-Once the draws are released, players schedule their matches directly with their opponents. 

-All matches are best two-out-three sets, regular scoring, with a 10-point match tiebreaker in lieu of a third, no exceptions. For the finals only, players will play out third sets as needed.

-Single elimination (you lose, you're out)

-This event is limited to ATC members. Monthly members are eligible provided their membership is current through the tournament dates. 

-The plan is to hold all semifinal and final matches on Saturday, September 12th and Sunday 13th.

-Players may play in a maximum of two draws. 

-The tournament director (me) and assistant director (Nicholas Demarco) reserve the right to cap draw sizes as needed.

In order to sign up, you must use the sign-up links below
(registration closes Tuesday at 5 PM):

*Please only sign up for the tournament if you have substantial availability to play multiple rounds of matches between August 29th and September 13th, and on both 9/12 & 9/13. Also carefully consider whether you have the availability and energy to play in more than one draw, which may involve playing multiple matches in a single day.*

Here is an important update to the tournament schedule:

As Rosh Hashanah falls on September 11th and 12th, there will be alternate dates available for the semifinals and finals for those who prefer, including but not limited to September 22nd and September 23rd. More generally, once players reach the semifinals and finals, there is some flexibility in terms of scheduling the final matches. Thank you!

Singles

Men's Open Doubles

Women's Open Doubles

Mixed Doubles

Men's 65+ Doubles

Women's 60+ Doubles