Sarah Taylor named USTA coach

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., November 5, 2009 -- The USTA announced today that Sarah Taylor has been hired as a USTA Coach.  In this role, Taylor will facilitate coaching and training programs while working with players in the USTA Player Development program.  She will be based at the USTA Training Center Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., and will report to Ola Malmqvist, Head of Women's Tennis, USTA Player Development.  Taylor joined the coaching staff last month. 

"Sarah is a strong addition to our staff," said Patrick McEnroe, General Manager, USTA Player Development.  "She brings the experience of playing in Grand Slam events and has succeeded on every level of competition.  I think our players will be able to feed off that experience and apply it to their own growth and development."

Taylor, 27, of Bradenton, Fla., joins the USTA following a stint as a tennis pro at Hollow Rock Racquet Club in Durham, N.C., where she worked while attending the University of North Carolina.  Taylor played professionally from 2000-05 and won seven ITF Pro Circuit singles titles, including three straight USTA Pro Circuit titles at the $25,000 event in College Park, Md. Taylor competed in all four Grand Slam events and reached a career-high No. 67 on the WTA Tour in 2003.  Additionally, she earned a silver medal in the 2003 Pan American Games.  Taylor also had an accomplished junior career, reaching a career-high No. 11 in the ITF World Junior Rankings in 1998, and representing the United States in both the Connolly Cup and the Continental Cup during her career.    

The USTA Player Development unit has been created to identify and develop the next generation of American champions by surrounding the top junior players and young pros with the resources, facilities and coaching they need to reach their maximum potential.  The Player Development program is based at the USTA Training Center Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., and also utilizes the USTA Training Center-West in Carson, Calif.  Last year, the USTA began implementing its Certified Regional Training Center program as part of its expanded efforts to develop future American tennis champions, which will expand the USTA Player Development program's reach throughout the country by partnering with academies, clubs and tennis centers that have a proven record of identifying and developing tennis players.  The USTA expects to name approximately fifteen Certified Regional Training Centers over the next five years.

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The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game.  A not-for-profit organization with 730,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 94 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., is a minority owner and promotional partner of World TeamTennis, and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA philanthropic entity, USTA Serves, provides grants and scholarships and through tennis, helps underserved youth and people with disabilities to improve academics, build character and strive for excellence. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.