When most think of professional tennis on the $15,000 “Futures” level on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour they think of matches being played at obscure locations in front of no fans.
And then there is the 2026 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships at the Sea Oaks Beach & Tennis Club in Vero Beach, Florida.
The 2026 edition of the tournament, to be held May 4-10, marks for the first time EVER in pro tennis history that a $15,000-level tournament – the lowest level professional tennis – is 100 percent sold out for the entire duration of the tournament. The event will feature a sold-out stadium court of approximately 300 paying fans as well standing-room only patrons and club members of perhaps 200 more at this charming seaside tennis destination.
“We are so thankful to all our donors for supporting our event and our cause of helping at-risk children in Indian River County start to lead healthy lives through the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation,” said Lynn Southerly, Executive Director of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, of the 2026 sell-out. “We are also equally thankful to the members of the Sea Oaks Beach & Tennis Club for allowing us to host this annual Vero Beach tennis tradition at their club. Their community and tennis facility provides one of the most beautiful settings imaginable and we expect the tournament this year to be unmatched to any other futures event in the world.”
Sea Oaks has hosted the Mardy Fish “Wild Card” tennis tournament since 2018, which has been labeled “the best wild card tournament in the world” as documented here: The Futures event in Vero Beach has featured such current tennis stars as Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe in the past in their early years in pro tennis, benefits the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit foundation benefitting children in Indian River County, named for Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, the former top 10 tennis star, U.S. Davis Cup player and captain and silver medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Vero Beach, Florida is perhaps, per capita, the best tennis town in the United States and the Sea Oaks Beach & Tennis Club may be the most enthusiastic of all the clubs in this eastern Florida coastal oasis. Thus, this first year combination of this entry-level pro tournament being staged at this location has created some tennis history.
“The Sea Oaks Beach & Tennis Club is one of the most beautiful tennis venues in Florida and will make for a spectacular setting for our Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships USTA Pro Circuit event,” said Tom Fish, chairman emeritus for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation and the father of Mardy Fish. “Sea Oaks has an incredible reputation for tennis participation and for their support attending exhibition matches and our annual singles wild card event on their charming stadium court. We know this will be a unique atmosphere for a Futures level event with standing room only crowds attending daily, which the players will certainly enjoy.”
Nestled along Florida’s scenic Treasure Coast, Sea Oaks is a private, member-owned community that offers an exclusive coastal retreat where luxury living meets an active lifestyle. Home to 614 beautifully maintained oceanfront and riverfront residences, Sea Oaks features a world-class tennis facility with 16 Har-Tru courts and a vibrant social atmosphere that captures the essence of relaxed elegance and coastal charm. In addition to its exceptional racquets program, the community offers unmatched amenities, including oceanfront dining, a fully equipped fitness center, and a charming marina on the Indian River. For those seeking an active, welcoming community by the sea, Sea Oaks Beach and Tennis Club presents a rare opportunity to live and belong in one of Florida’s most treasured coastal destinations. For more information go to https://seaoaksbeachandtennis.com/
Played annually in Vero Beach since 1995, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships is the fourth longest running active professional tennis tournament in the state of Florida behind the Miami Open (started in 1985), the Delray Beach Open (started in 1993) and the Tallahassee Challenger (started in 1993).
Some of the past competitors at the USTA Vero Beach Futures have gone on to succeed at the highest levels of professional tennis, winning major singles and doubles titles, Olympic medals and Davis Cup championships and earning No. 1 world rankings. Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion who attained the world No. 1 ranking and helped the United States win the Davis Cup in 2007, competed in Vero Beach in 1999 in his first ever professional tournament. Thomas Johansson of Sweden, who reached the second round of the Vero Beach Futures in 1995, won the Australian Open seven years later in 2002. Nicolas Massu, the 1998 singles runner-up in Vero Beach, won the singles and doubles gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, beating Fish in the gold medal singles match. Other notable former competitors in Vero Beach include former world No. 2 Magnus Norman, former world No. 4 Tim Henman, 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic, 2021 Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov, 2022 and 2024 U.S. Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe, 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul and new rising star and 2023 U.S. Open semifinalist Ben Shelton. Former Vero Beach competitors have combined to win 19 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments. Twelve former Vero Beach players have gone on to play Davis Cup for the United States – Roddick, Fish, Taylor Dent, Jared Palmer, Donald Young, Ryan Harrison, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Reilly Opelka, Alex Michelsen and Ethan Quinn.
Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation currently supports over 3,000 children per year in 15 elementary schools, six middle schools, and several other community organizations in Indian River County, Florida by funding after-school and summer exercise, nutritional and enrichment programs in a safe environment to prepare them for healthy, productive and successful lives. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends.
Sea Oaks is the fourth different club in Vero Beach, but the first on the island, to host the very popular event. Founded by the late Vero Beach tennis pro and promoter Mike Rahaley, the event was held at Grand Harbor from 1995 to 2009 and in 2017 and 2018, The Boulevard Tennis Club from 2010 to 2016 and from 2019 to 2022 and then for the last three years at the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club at Timber Ridge.
