More than 900 young tennis players are expected to descend on New Orleans next month for the Allstate Sugar Bowl Tennis Classic, a free three-day tournament spread across five city tennis facilities. The event, which draws boys and girls from throughout the United States and Puerto Rico competing in 12-and-under, 14-and-under, 16-and-under and 18-and-under divisions, is scheduled to run Nov. 7-9, 2026, with tournament finals set for 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 9.
According to New Orleans CityBusiness, matches begin at 8 a.m. on Nov. 7 and 8, with play spread across City Park Tennis Center, Atkinson Stern Tennis Center, Joe Brown Park, UNO Tennis Center and Audubon Tennis Center. A separate announcement from New Orleans City Park describes the 2025 edition, which ran Nov. 8-10, with finals at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 10. Either way, the finals take place at City Park Tennis Center, located at 5900 Marconi Drive.
A Decades-Long Partnership Keeps Growing
The tournament is organized by the United States Tennis Association and runs on a partnership between the Allstate Sugar Bowl and City Park Conservancy, which operates the park's 1,300 acres in partnership with the City Park Improvement Association. City Park Conservancy President and CEO Rebecca Dietz said the City Park Tennis Center is one of the finest facilities in the region, and that the conservancy welcomes players and families from around the country for the event. The tennis center itself offers more than 20 lighted hard and clay courts along with four pickleball courts, lockers and showers.
Allstate Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said the Sugar Bowl Committee supports high-level competitive opportunities for student-athletes, part of an effort that the organization says invests more than $1 million annually in the community through sporting events, scholarships, awards and clinics. The tournament is free and open to spectators, giving families a no-cost way to watch national-caliber junior tennis across multiple neighborhoods.
Tennis Participation Is Surging Nationwide
The timing lines up with a broader boom in the sport. U.S. tennis participation hit a new high of 27.3 million players in 2025, an increase of 1.6 million from the prior year, according to USTA. The governing body reports participation has grown 54 percent since 2019, with nearly 10 million new players added over six consecutive years of growth, and that first-time players reached 4.9 million last year, up 9 percent year over year.
That growth has included a notable jump among women, with 1.1 million more women playing tennis in 2025 than in 2024 — a 10 percent increase, per the same USTA data. The number of core players, defined as those who played 10 or more times during the year, climbed to 14.5 million nationally. Against that backdrop, a free youth tournament of this size gives local families a direct look at the sport's rising popularity.
What to Expect at the Courts
Biz New Orleans reports the tournament draws junior players from across the United States and Puerto Rico, with City Park Tennis Center serving as the main venue and hosting the final matches. A New Orleans City Park announcement about the 2025 edition reported finals at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10. The 2026 tournament is scheduled for Nov. 7-9, with more than 900 youth participants expected.
