DURHAM – Duke men's and women's tennis hosted the Royal Blue Club Pro Am on Sunday, with members of the Royal Blue Club getting the opportunity to square off against Blue Devil players.
It was the 15th time the annual event was hosted and first since 2019, due to Covid-19 concerns. In total, 48 of the Royal Blue Club members, the biggest fans and supporters of Blue Devil tennis, participated in the event at the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center.
"It was awesome to have our Royal Blue Pro Am back in Sheffield, and we had a fantastic turnout," men's tennis head coach Ramsey Smith said. "This event is always a special opportunity for our men's and women's teams to play and connect with our biggest supporters and fans. We had an awesome time, and I think it got everyone even more excited about the upcoming spring season. I want to give a special thank you to Larry Herst, president of the Royal Blue Club, for spearheading this event and for everything that he does for Duke Tennis."
The Royal Blue Club is a fan club for the men's and women's tennis programs. Benefits of joining include food and beverages at home matches, match day promotions, discounted priority court time at the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center, participation in the season finale Team Pro Am and a free Duke Tennis t-shirt.
"This is one of the best events we do all year," women's tennis head coach Jamie Ashworth said. "Community engagement for both the women's and men's teams are such a vital component to building a fan base and this Royal Blue event anchors that for us. We have a tremendous home record in both Sheffield and Ambler [Tennis Stadium] and the constant behind all of that is the support system of our Royal Blue fans. Thank you to all of the members for coming out and being a part of the incredible Duke Tennis family."
The women's team began their season this past Saturday when they defeated SMU, 5-2, inside Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center. The men's program kicks off their season on Saturday when they host VCU at Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center at noon.
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