Duke Tennis

A MESSAGE FROM MEN'S HEAD COACH RAMSEY SMITH

Duke Men's Tennis Family,

I hope this note finds you well and enjoying the start of fall. Here in Durham, there's a renewed energy in the air as we prepare for another exciting season of Blue Devil Tennis. But before we dive into what’s ahead, I want to take a moment to celebrate some highlights from a truly remarkable summer—both for our current players and our alumni.

A Breakthrough at the US Open

This summer, Duke Tennis earned international attention when junior Cooper Williams and graduate Theo Winegar captured the American Collegiate Wild Card in doubles (Orlando, FL), securing a coveted spot in the 2025 US Open Main Draw.

They made the most of their opportunity, defeating Petr Nouza and Patrik Rikl 7–6, 6–4 in the first round before pushing the No. 4 seeds, Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz, to two tight tiebreak sets in round two. Competing—and winning—on the sport’s biggest stage was a proud milestone for our program and a moment we’ll remember for years to come.

In addition to their US Open run, Cooper captured back-to-back singles Futures Titles in Monastir, Tunisia, while Theo continued his climb up the world rankings, gaining 283 ATP doubles points to break into the top 300.

Rising Stars and Alumni Impact

We’re also proud to highlight the achievements of Garrett Johns (’24), who received a wild card into the US Open Qualifying Tournament this August. Garrett won two matches to reach the final round of qualifying, falling just one match short of the main draw. His rise on the professional circuit is a testament to his dedication and the foundation he built here at Duke—we’ll be following closely and cheering him on in the months ahead.

Welcoming New Talent

As our veterans and alumni make strides, we’re also excited to welcome a new face to the squad: Dylan Long, from Carmel, Indiana. Dylan has embraced the Blue Devil spirit from day one and is already making a strong impression. Keep an eye on him this fall as he begins his Duke journey.

Looking Ahead: Our Fall Schedule

With summer in the rearview, our focus shifts to a competitive fall schedule that offers critical opportunities for growth—both individually and as a team. In addition to our collegiate events, several players will compete in professional tournaments, including Futures & Challenger events in Winston-Salem, Columbus, Charlottesville, and Knoxville. 

Our anticipated ITA fall schedule includes:

Orange and Blue Classic – Charlottesville, VA – Sept 12–14
ITA All-America Championships – Tulsa, OK – Sept 20–28
ITA Carolina Regional Championship – Cary, NC – Oct 16–20
Wake Forest Invitational – Winston-Salem, NC – Oct 31–Nov 2
ITA Sectional Championship (East) – Chapel Hill, NC – Nov 6–9
NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships – Waco, TX – Nov 18–23

These events help us sharpen our competitive edge, build chemistry, and improve rankings heading into the spring dual-match season. We'll share our finalized spring schedule as soon as it’s released—and we hope you can plan ahead to cheer us from the stands for some matches!

Join Us This Fall

Finally, I’d like to extend a personal invitation: If you find yourself in Durham this fall, we’d love to see you at Ambler Tennis Stadium—whether for a match or a practice session. Your presence, encouragement, and support mean the world to our players.

If you can’t make it in person, we hope you’ll continue following our progress online. However you choose to engage—with a text, a message, or a cheer from afar—you are a vital part of our community.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Duke Men’s Tennis. We look forward to representing you with pride this fall and beyond.

Go Duke!

Ramsey 

Duke Tennis Holds Royal Blue Club Pro Am Event - 1/12/2025


DURHAM, N.C. – Duke men's and women's tennis hosted the annual Royal Blue Club Pro Am on Sunday as members of the Royal Blue Club received the opportunity to square off against Blue Devil players.

This winter marked the 16th year of the event. In total Sunday, 56 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.

"Our Royal Blue Pro Am just keeps getting better," men's tennis head coach Ramsey Smith said. "This event is an incredible opportunity for our men's and women's teams to play and connect with our biggest supporters and fans. I want to give a special thank you to Larry Herst, president of the Royal Blue Club, for spearheading this event and for everything 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 Pro Am and a free Duke Tennis t-shirt.

"The Royal Blue Pro Am is always a great event for the Duke Tennis family and our most loyal fans," women's tennis head coach Jamie Ashworth said. "We have worked hard with the Royal Blue members to make Duke the toughest place to play for visitors. It shows in our home record over the last 10 or so years. The event is such a great way for both the men's and women's programs to interact with members of the Duke and Durham community. A special shout out and thank you to Larry Herst, the director of the Royal Blue group. We are excited to see what this year brings in front of the best home fans in the country! Our Royal Blue members have been a backbone to that fan base."

1/13/2025 12:30:00 PM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis

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Tennis Holds Royal Blue Club Pro Am

Published on goduke.com

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.

#GoDuke