The WTA’s community outreach program, Come Play Presented by Morgan Stanley, came to New York for a week of pre-US Open activities bringing the sport of tennis to communities around the city.
After the announcement of a multi-year global partnership with the WTA earlier this year, Morgan Stanley joined the WTA Come Play initiative, which started in 2018. The program utilizes tennis to positively impact communities and encourages youth, with a focus on girls, of all ages and abilities to lead healthy and productive lives on and off the court.
With a shared vision for expanding access to the game of tennis, Morgan Stanley and the WTA joined forces with the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program (HJTEP) and the City Parks Foundation by offering tennis clinics to New York City youngsters.
The week kicked off on Tuesday with a special tour of the Morgan Stanley offices in New York City for girls to learn firsthand about future careers in finance.
On Wednesday, the first Come Play clinic presented by Morgan Stanley got underway at Howard Bennett Playground in Harlem where 50 HJTEP girls and boys were treated to a tennis clinic led by Judy Murray who was joined by WTA stars World No.3 Jessica Pegula, Alycia Parks and Danielle Collins.
HJTEP, which is run by WTA legend and Executive Director, Katrina Adams, has served more than 20,000 youth since 1972 using tennis as a tool for positive behavior and fitness and offering educational programs emphasizing academic excellence and emotional resiliency.
Go HERE for more photos from the clinics!
The week of events continued on Thursday at Cunningham Park in Flushing with WTA Foundation and Morgan Stanley teaming up with the City Parks Foundation for a second clinic led by Murray. Top Americans Jennifer Brady and Shelby Rogers assisted Murray surprising 50 kids from community tennis programs in Queens.
The City Parks Foundation provides free tennis instruction year-round to thousands of kids in more than 30 parks throughout the five boroughs. Their free sports programs transform parks into centers for recreation to create vibrant and healthy urban communities.
Morgan Stanley and WTA Foundation presented HJTEP and the City Parks Foundation each with a donation of $25,000 to make a difference in their community efforts.
“What a week! We are so proud to bring the Come Play program to New York City – the city in which we’re headquartered,” said Alice Milligan, Morgan Stanley Chief Marketing Officer. “Giving back is a core value of the firm and we are so grateful to our many colleagues and WTA players who came together to make these incredibly special events come to life and inspire the next generation of tennis stars to break boundaries on the court.”
In celebration of the WTA’s 50th anniversary, the WTA and Morgan Stanley concluded the week by inviting a select group of HJTEP girls to a “Girls Day Out” in the city before walking the red carpet at the WTA’s 50th Anniversary Gala on Friday.
To learn more about WTA Foundation or make a donation, visit https://wtafoundation.wtatennis.com/
