INTERSECTIONALS

Each year, during the second week of November, NWTO sponsors and helps plan the largest women’s tournament of the year, the USTA National Women’s Intersectional Team Championships. All USTA Sections are invited and encouraged to send teams of their best players representing their area in age categories 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 80, and 85s.

This event alternates between clay courts and hard courts, hosting over 300 women each year. Each team plays for four days with singles matches in the morning and doubles in the afternoon. The 55s and 65s play Monday-Thursday, the 75s, 80s, 85s play Tuesday-Friday and the 35s and 45s play Thursday-Sunday. In recent years, the clay court event has been held in Florida and the hard court event in Phoenix.

NWTO members who are interested in playing in the Intersectional event should contact their Section Office to find out how teams are organized in their Section. Registration is done by the team captain or Section Office. Each team has between 4 and 7 players, depending on the numbers of singles and doubles lines to be played in each age group.

Whether on clay or hard courts, whether 35 or 85, what is always on display at Intersectionals is competition at the highest level, team bonding between those representing their sections, and renewal of enduring friendships of players from all areas of the country.

You can learn more about the history of Intersectionals here.

2024 USTA National Women's Intersectional Team Event

November 11-17 | Veltri Tennis Center, Plantation Fl

Access the tournament information page here.

USTA teams represented by each Section in 2023:

Pacific Northwest 4 teams: 35, 45, 55, 80, MidAtlantic 3 teams: 45, 65, 75, Southern 6 teams: 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85

Florida 2 teams: 55, 65, Midwest 6 teams: 45, 55, 65, 75, 80, 85, Southern California 5 teams: 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 80

Texas 6 teams: 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, Middle States 3 teams: 45, 55, 65, 75, 80, Eastern 3 teams: 45, 75, 85

New England 7 teams: 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 80, 85, Northern California 6 teams: 35, 45 55, 65, 75, 80

Southwest 4 teams: 35, 55, 65, 75, Northern 1 team: 55, Intermountain 1 team: 65

14 Sections out of 17 participated. The three Sections that did not send any team at all were Missouri Valley, Hawaii and Caribbean.

2023 USTA National Women's Intersectionals

Phoenix, AZ | November 6-12

Results

The 2023 Women’s Team Intersectional Event is in the books! Over 350 women tennis competitors descended on the courts of Phoenix Tennis Center November 6-12. Matt Gleason and his capable staff worked their usual magic, kept matches on schedule, and the weather cooperated beautifully. In fact, not a cloud was seen in the sky the entire week!

If you have the time, check out the NWTO Instagram account to see some great pictures that were captured during the week of competition. A very cute “Passing the ball” video was also filmed by the 35 and 45 girls. Passing the ball is exactly what we have done since way back in 1987 when Carol Wood and a dedicated group of players from the Northeast held the first Intersectional event in Virginia Beach, VA, with 123 players from 11 sections. NSWTA and now NWTO have figured heavily in the sponsorship and success of all subsequent Intersectional competitions. This year’s success was no exception. It is reassuring to know that the ball has been passed to some very capable and creative leaders and we thank them for their efforts on our behalf. When the ball is passed to you, catch it and run with it! You won’t regret it!

The Thursday night banquet was a festive and fun event. Sheila Weinstock was presented the inaugural Belmar Gunderson Leadership Award and Colleen Clery Ferrell received the Margaret Russo Award. The band kept the dance floor busy until closing time and we hope they will clear their schedule to join us November 11-17, 2024, in Plantation, FL!