The Menard Tennis Center hosts an international tournament

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – The John and Fay Menard YMCA Tennis Center in Eau Claire has been a major asset to the game since it was built a few years ago, including hosting year-round state tennis events last. This week, the center welcomes some of the best emerging players in the world.

The tennis center hosts a junior tournament of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The action started last week and continues until Friday. It features players 18 and under from 16 different countries.

Spectators are invited to come and watch, masks are compulsory. The finals of the event take place on Friday.

It is an exciting time for tennis center manager Matt Boughton as the future of tennis is on display in the Chippewa Valley.

“These are players who are on their way to becoming professional tennis players, they are all 18 and under. This is the first time that we have organized an ITF J5. This is the first time that our section has hosted an ITF J5. The section includes Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This is the entry level into this ITF career path. These tournaments are played all over the world and there are a lot of them, but not a lot in the United States. So, it’s pretty cool to have one here in western Wisconsin.

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