The 48th annual
Milwaukee Tennis Classic
The Milwaukee Tennis Classic is excited on September 27-29, 2024 to return with the men’s draw at Western Racquet Club in Elm Grove, WI and the women’s draw at the newly completed Nicolet Tennis Center, with a stadium court, in Glendale, WI
The rich history of this NCAA Division I tournament continues today with expanded vigor thanks to the support of our Milwaukee tennis community members and our corporate sponsors, Al Hurvis/ADAMM Education Foundation, Azura Memory Care & Assisted Living and Mandel Group, Inc.
Further, we thank host families who provide housing for all interested players, a tradition which goes back over 47 years!
We also thank “Friends of the Classic” for their generous financial support, and we thank the many volunteers who donate their time and resources to assist with tournament operations.
Finally, we thank our coaches, players and spectators for the important role they play in this event!
The 48th MTC is dedicated to the legacy of Nicolet High School Tennis Coach J. Cary Bachman who won a total of 33 team boy’s and girl’s Wisconsin high school tennis state championships. Coach Bachman inspired his players to success both on and off the courts. Nicolet has a Tennis Hall of Fame!
The MTC kicked off the celebration of Coach Bachman's legacy on February 24, 2024 with a reception and dinner including honorary guests Dr. Greg Kabara and Coach Tim Koppa of Nicolet. Both played a critical role in the construction of the new tennis complex and partnered closely with MTC founder Chas Mulcahy to form a partnership between our two organizations. Contributions to the J. Cary Bachman – MTC – Hurvis/ADAMM Scholarship can be made payable to Al Hurvis/ADAMM Education Foundation, Inc.
History
When the MTC started, this tournament was played for over 30 years in January using about a dozen local indoor tennis facilities. The finals took place in the 4,000 seat Milwaukee Auditorium which is now the Miller High Life Theater. Frequently the finals were televised in the Auditorium and at times drawing upwards of 200 competitors from schools across the nation and audiences of 1,500 to 3,300 people.
In 1984, MTC established the Charles C. Mulcahy Sportsmanship Award to be given annually to the young man and young woman competing in the tournament who demonstrates meaningful and significant sportsmanship to serve as a role model not only for the tournament but also for the sport of tennis.
When the Auditorium was no longer available for the finals, MTC reinvented itself as a team event between 2005 and 2016, featuring 4 men’s and 4 women’s teams in a Fall venue. Marquette University and University of Wisconsin-Madison anchored this successful team event which was hosted on hard courts by Western Racquet Club, Elm Grove, WI and on clay courts at The Town Club, Fox Point, WI.
MTC played a pivotal role in bringing the international Davis Cup World Semi-final between the U.S. and Italy on September 25-27, 1998 to the Milwaukee Arena. An Italian American Festival supporting the Davis Cup was presented outside the Arena. Six thousand people, including Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, watched the matches over the three days Wisconsin Center District president, Dick Geyer; and, MTC president, Chas Mulcahy co-chaired the event. The 1998 US Davis Cup team included Jim Courier, Andre Agassi, Tom Gullickson (Captain), Pete Sampras, Todd Martin, Jan Michael Gambel and Jonathan Start, It was the first and only time Davis Cup came to Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Tennis Classic started with the joint vision of Al McGuire, then-athletic director of Marquette University, Chas Mulcahy, John Roethle and George Gaspar. The goal was to create a national intercollegiate men’s and women’s tennis event which would place Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin on the national tennis map and provide major community outreach including encouragement and support for the underserved.
In fall 2017, MTC returned as an individual men’s and women’s singles and doubles events. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) awarded MTC Gold Level status with the men’s and women’s singles champions awarded wild cards to the ITA end of year national championships. Nationally prominent umpires are recruited from throughout the U.S.
Referee Dan Drvarc launched the exceptional MTC umpires program
The outdoor venues continued at Western Racquet Club; Milwaukee Country Club, River Hills, WI and Nicolet Tennis Center, Glendale, WI. The 32 singles and 16 doubles draws included nationally ranked players from throughout the U.S. Players have competed in the MTC from over 110 Division I tennis programs; and many of the players originally from Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, Mexico and the Middle East have competed in the MTC. From the beginning, MTC provided housing for all players adding to the unique and special nature of the tournament.
Community Outreach
MTC’s community outreach includes an extensive scholarship program for high school seniors going primarily to Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) for health care, business, automotive and other careers. This Milwaukee Tennis Classic - Al Hurvis/ADAMM Education Foundation selects students from area high schools including Milwaukee Academy of Sciences, Tenor, Brown Deer, Shorewood, Hmong American Peace Academy, St. Joan Antida and Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation. Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, leadership, community service, extra-curricular activities and need.
The primary goal of this program is to provide the students with an opportunity to secure a two year associate degree with no debt and a family supporting job.
MTC also hosts"Lunch at the Classic" bringing young people from the tennis community to the tournament for a unique and special experience including a Cousin’s sub lunch, MTC T-shirt, official programs, meeting players and coaches, and watching matches. Entire tennis teams come together to enjoy lunch, an MTC T-shirt and the excitement of a national tennis tournament.
Patriotism
Founding directors of the MTC served in the U.S. military including John D. Roethle (Marines), George J. Gaspar (Army) and Charles C. Mulcahy (Air Force). They realized the important role the U.S. service academies play in constantly replenishing the supply of able, fit, capable and ethical leaders to lead our armed forces to protect our basic freedoms and democracy. The MTC, as part of its patriotism program, provides wild card entries for two men and two women from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD. Upon graduation they will be involved in a far more meaningful competition as a moral and military force to protect our people and nation. These midshipmen have distinguished themselves in past match play and in winning the Annual Sportsmanship Award.
In 2018, MTC president Chas Mulcahy, sensing the opportunity for the US Naval Academy tennis to expand westward, proposed an event co-sponsored by the Academy and the University of San Diego to be hosted in the new USD Hogan Tennis Center. San Diego is a Navy town with a proud military history. The San Diego Veterans Tennis Classic now extends the USNA tennis footprint from Annapolis to Milwaukee to San Diego – coast to coast.