Williams Joins Kevin Anderson as Honorees for Personifying Sportsmanship
over the Summer Tennis Season in North America
The USTA today announced that Venus Williams has received the fifth annual US Open Sportsmanship Award, presented to the professional tennis players who best demonstrate excellence in sportsmanship throughout the Emirates Airline US Open Series and the US Open. Williams, a two-time US Open champion, joins Kevin Anderson as this year’s US Open Sportsmanship Award recipients.
“What more can you say that hasn’t already been said about Venus Williams,” said USTA Chairman, CEO and President Katrina Adams. “She is the personification of class and grace as a competitor and is the perfect recipient of the US Open Sportsmanship Award.”
The USTA started a Sportsmanship Committee in 2011. Its charge is to “educate and inspire youngsters and their parents to develop and exhibit a high degree of sportsmanship and an attitude of fair play and mutual respect on and off the tennis court. Underlying the charge is the ethical imperative that fairness is more important than winning.”
Eligibility requirements for winners include participating in at least two Series tournaments, as well as the 2015 US Open. Each US Open Sportsmanship Award winner receives a trophy and a $5,000 donation to the charity of his or her choice. Past winners include Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki (2014), Li Na and David Ferrer (2013) and Bob and Mike Bryan and Samantha Stosur (2012).
Venus Williams of the US hits a return to Belinda Bencic of Switzerland during their match on the fifth day of the 2015 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 04 September 2015. The US Open runs through 13 September, which is a return to a 14-day schedule. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO
Topics: Tennis News, Tennis Sportsmanship Award, US Open, Usta, Venus Williams
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