The Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation (MCB) would like to wish all of our players, parents, and friends a Happy Holiday Season! May this time of the year be filled with special friends and family, good cheer, health, and happiness into 2024!

17th Annual "Little Mo" Internationals

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Congratulations to the winners of the 17th Annual "Little Mo" Internationals tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and final leg of the 2023 "Little Mo" Slam! This special event was held at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center (host site), PGA National Resort, The Tennis Club of Palm Beach, Jupiter Bay Tennis Club, Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus, The Benjamin School, and Indian Spring Country Club from Friday, December 1 - Wednesday, December 6, 2023. Approximately 700 players from over 60 different countries and territories worldwide were featured in this international tournament including Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and 29 states across the USA! With so many talented players from around the world, it was a fantastic week filled with new friendships, great sportsmanship, and competitive tennis. This year, we were also celebrating a very special milestone for our Foundation - the 70th Anniversary of Maureen Connolly's Grand Slam win in 1953! For all draws and results, please click on the green "Results" button below:

17th Annual "Little Mo" Internationals in Florida

Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

December 1-6, 2023

Singles Winners

Girls 15/16: Risa Ohkoshi - Tokorozawa, Japan

Girls 14: Ophelia Korpanec Davies - London, United Kingdom

Girls 13: Tea Kovacevic - Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Girls 12: Hermione Korpanec Davies - London, United Kingdom

Girls 11: Sato Minori - Fujisawa, Japan

Girls 10 (yellow ball): Inie Toli - Wellington, Florida / Tonga

Girls 10 (green dot): Momoka Yanagitani - Takamatsu, Japan

Girls 9 (yellow ball): Miyue Tao - Sugar Land, Texas

Girls 9 (green dot): Carla Arroyave - Medellín, Colombia

Girls 8 (yellow ball): Mausia Toli - Wellington, Florida / Tonga

Girls 8 (green dot): Alice Ortiz Tergolina - Pinellas Park, Florida

Boys 16: Ivan Mnyakin - Boca Raton, Florida / Russia

Boys 15: Aiden Yeung - Portland, Oregon

Boys 14: Mikaeel Alibaig - Boca Raton, Florida / Pakistan

Boys 13: Thomas O'Neill - Bridgetown, Barbados / Canada

Boys 12: Igor Peric - Belgrade, Serbia

Boys 11: Tristan Summers - Johannesburg, South Africa

Boys 10 (yellow ball): William McGugin - Nashville, Tennessee

Boys 10 (green dot): Yukinari Gekka - Sapporo, Japan

Boys 9 (yellow ball): Dylan Kivov - Potomac, Maryland

Boys 9 (green dot): Eduardo Pozzi - São Paulo, Brazil

Boys 8 (yellow ball): William Zhou - Glendale, California

Boys 8 (green dot): Jacob Nall - Acworth, Georgia

Doubles Winners

Girls 15/16: Risa Ohkoshi - Tokorozawa, Japan│Eva Codita - Toronto, Canada

Girls 14: Mila Jovanovski - Erlenbach Am Main, Germany│Ophelia Korpanec Davies - London, United Kingdom

Girls 13: Gwyneth Fedus - Warsaw, Poland│Melanie Constandache - Coconut Creek, Florida

Girls 12: Manuela Ferreira Banietti - São Paulo, Brazil│Flavia Cherobim Souza - Curitiba, Brazil

Girls 11: Mia Fedus - Stará L'ubovňa, Slovakia│Maria Laura Gallina - Heroica Puebla De Zaragoza, Mexico

Girls 10 (yellow ball): Inie Toli - Wellington, Florida / Tonga│Maria Cristina Edjoo - Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Girls 10 (green dot): Hinako Higaki - Kawasaki, Japan│Momoka Yanagitani - Takamatsu, Japan

Girls 9 (yellow ball): Constanza Fernandez - Boca Raton, Florida / Mexico│Vasiana Christopoulos - Tampa, Florida / Greece

Girls 9 (green dot): Evie Yi - Fairfax, Virginia│Emma Allen - Kitchener, Canada

Girls 8 (yellow ball): Mausia Toli - Wellington, Florida / Tonga│Rhea Talari - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Girls 8 (green dot): Selena Erkavun - Wyckoff, New Jersey│Mia Jimenez Mendez - Bogotá, Colombia

Boys 16: Francisco Marconi - Río Cuarto, Argentina│Ivan Mnyakin - Boca Raton, Florida / Russia

Boys 15: Ilia Dobrovolsky - Toronto, Canada│Aiden Yeung - Portland, Oregon

Boys 14: Mikaeel Alibaig - Boca Raton, Florida / Pakistan│Evan Palumbo - Mamer, Luxembourg

Boys 13: Danylo Glinnyi - Mississauga, Canada│Thomas O'Neill - Bridgetown, Barbados / Canada

Boys 12: Jun Yoshioka - Machida, Japan│Otsuka Yutaro - Yokohama, Japan

Boys 11: Stanley Oriala Jr. - Florham Park, New Jersey / Nigeria│Tristan Summers - Johannesburg, South Africa

Boys 10 (yellow ball): David Llovera - Mexico City, Mexico│William McGugin - Nashville, Tennessee

Boys 10 (green dot): Pablo Javier Garcia Acevedo - Puerto Barrios, Guatemala│Nolan Oliver Hernández - Nicoya, Costa Rica

Boys 9 (yellow ball): Christos Paizis - Edgewater, New Jersey│Lorenzo Pirari - Miami Beach, Florida / Italy

Boys 9 (green dot): Lucca Teixeira - Montreal, Canada│Eduardo Pozzi - São Paulo, Brazil 

Boys 8 (yellow ball): Ayan Shiralkar - Missouri City, Texas│Alan Wang - Bellevue, Washington

Boys 8 (green dot): Joaquin Ospina - Miami, Florida / Colombia│Joshua Toledano - Sunny Isles Beach, Florida / South Africa

Mixed Doubles Winners

Mixed 15/16: Melanie Constandache - Coconut Creek, Florida│Sebastian Constandache - Coconut Creek, Florida

Mixed 14: Tea Kovacevic - Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina│Evan Palumbo - Mamer, Luxembourg

Mixed 13: Isabella Woo - Toronto, Canada│Danylo Glinnyi - Mississauga, Canada

Mixed 12: Flavia Cherobim Souza - Curitiba, Brazil│Matteo Limones Munoz - Torreón, Mexico

Mixed 11: Maria Laura Gallina - Heroica Puebla De Zaragoza, Mexico│Diego Fernandez Lapuente - Puebla, Mexico

Mixed 10 (yellow ball): Inie Toli - Wellington, Florida / Tonga│David Llovera - Mexico City, Mexico

Mixed 10 (green dot): Hinako Higaki - Kawasaki, Japan│Bram Van Vliet - Opitter, Belgium / Netherlands

Mixed 9 (yellow ball): Adiva Rosenberg - Surfside, Florida│Dylan Kivov - Potomac, Maryland

Mixed 9 (green dot): Edwina Xue - Toronto, Canada│Ajayan Kumaaravel - Markham, Canada

Mixed 8 (yellow ball): Lindy Zhou - Glendale, California│William Zhou - Glendale, California

Mixed 8 (green dot): Zoé Anabella Vasquez Rondon - Richmond, Virginia / Venezuela│Knowlton Atterbeary - Fulton, Maryland

Sportsmanship Award Recipients

Hermione Korpanec Davies - London, United Kingdom

Noah Yan - Los Altos, California / China

Kindness Award Recipients

Isabella Woo - Toronto, Canada

Ho Wan Yeung - Hong Kong, China

The Cecil Wise "Outstanding Official" Award

Andy Buras - Southern California

Presented by Karol Wise, wife of the late Cecil Wise - longtime official of the "Little Mo" tournaments who passed away earlier this year.

*Photo above is credited to YourGameFace. For more information, please click here to visit their website: www.yourgameface.com or click here to visit their Instagram page: @YourGameFace.

The festivities began on Friday, December 1 with a fun complimentary tennis clinic with drills, games, and prizes for all players hosted by Wayne Bryan (father of Bob and Mike Bryan) at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center from 1:00-3:00pm. The spectacular Opening Ceremony began at 4:00pm with the players parading onto the center court carrying their country flags. The national anthem was sung by Micaela Bryan, daughter of Bob and Michelle Bryan. Chelsea Reed, the Mayor of the City of Palm Beach Gardens, welcomed the players and parents. Bob Bryan of the famous Bryan Brothers doubles team was the Guest Speaker. Considered by many to be the greatest doubles team of all time, Bob and Mike Bryan have shared a remarkable career together and achieved almost everything our sport has to offer: a record 16 Grand Slam men's doubles titles (2 French Open titles, 3 Wimbledon titles, 5 US Open titles, 6 Australian Open titles), 118 career titles, an Olympic gold medal together (London 2012), and an unprecedented 438 weeks in total as the #1 doubles team in the world. Bob Bryan was also recently named captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team. Cindy Brinker Simmons, MCB President and daughter of Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly Brinker, gave an inspirational message on her mother's legacy. Brenda Brinker Bottum, MCB Vice President and daughter of Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly Brinker, was also in attendance. A memorial plaque was given to Michele Rothstein, wife of the late Jeff Rothstein - longtime Referee of the "Little Mo" tournaments who passed away earlier this year. Following the ceremony, a special Group Photo was taken at 5:00pm.

Matches began on Saturday, December 2 and continued through Wednesday, December 6. The winner of each division was crowned a "Little Mo" Internationals champion! For all draws and results, please visit: www.littlemoflorida.com.

On Sunday evening, a fun Player Party was held for all of our families at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center from 5:30-8:30pm. There were many exciting activities for the players including a rock wall, laser tag, videogame van, foam pool, bubble machine, face painting, balloon twisting, "Mo Money" machine, pizza, popcorn, cotton candy, snow cones, bounce house, fun house maze, inflatables, DJ playing music, dancing contests, pickleball, and other games. We hope everyone enjoyed this special occasion as it was a great opportunity to meet other players and parents from around the world!

Have you ever dreamed of winning the tallest trophy in junior tennis? In 2013, MCB created the ultimate challenge for any player (ages 8-12) to win the "Little Mo" Slam. The Slam was created in honor of Maureen Connolly's Grand Slam win in 1953 - winning all four major championships (Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US Open) in the same calendar year. If a "Little Mo" player can win their yellow ball division at all three Internationals (Colorado, New Jersey, Florida) in the same year, they will receive the tallest trophy in junior tennis (6 feet tall) and the title of "Little Mo" Slam Champion! The Slam continued this year with the 1st leg at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado (June 30 - July 5). The 2nd leg was held at the West Orange Tennis Club in West Orange, New Jersey (August 20-24). The 3rd and final leg took place at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (December 1-6).

Mausia Toli

Inie Toli

The following two players (who are also sisters) won the 2023 "Little Mo" Slam after winning their age division in Colorado, New Jersey, and Florida: Girls 8 - Mausia Toli (Wellington, Florida / Tonga) and Girls 10 - Inie Toli (Wellington, Florida / Tonga). Each player took home the tallest trophy in junior tennis (6 feet tall) - congratulations Mausia and Inie! There are now eleven players who have accomplished this magnificent feat in the past ten years. Who will win the "Little Mo" Slam title next year?

Click on the video above to watch Theo Dorsey with ESPN interview Mausia and Inie Toli about their "Little Mo" Slam win!

A special thank you to our proud sponsors: Jersey Mike's Subs (JMS - Title Sponsor), Tennis Competitors of Dallas (TCD), Wilson Sporting Goods ("Official Ball and Racquet"), Lucky in Love Kids ("Official Apparel"), and Palm Beach County Sports Commission (PBCSC). We would also like to thank the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center (PBG - Host Site), PGA National Resort (PGA), The Tennis Club of Palm Beach (TCP), Jupiter Bay Tennis Club (JBT), Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus (MVL), The Benjamin School (BEN), Indian Spring Country Club (IS), their staffs for hosting our event, Peter Cancro (JMS Founder and CEO), Jared Fleet (PBCSC Director of Event Operations), Gillian Constable (PBCSC Sports Event Manager), Wendy Tatum (PBG Director of Tennis and Pickleball), Andi Mohl (PBG Operations Manager), Ian Sullivan (PBG Recreation Supervisor), Alexandru Pop-Moldovan (PGA Director of Racquet Sports), Sophie Lefèvre (TCP Tennis Director), Denée Massie (JBT Owner/Operator), TJ Budd (MVL Associate Athletic Director for Administration), Jane Schaas (BEN Business and Advancement Office), Beth Chavis (IS Tennis Manager), Rick Workman (Tournament Director), Jake Bryan (Host Site Director), Fred Lipscomb (Referee) and the officials, Dave "The Koz" Kozlowski (Media Celebrity), Mayor Chelsea Reed, Bob Bryan, Wayne Bryan, Micaela Bryan, Mari Workman, Kim Scullion, Karen Olson, Shelley Lugon-Moulin, Tim Warner, Taylor Bryant, Bernardo Moraes, and all of the volunteers who have donated their time and energy for our event. We appreciate their hard work and dedication to junior tennis!

We hope you and your family will join us again next year for one or more of our "Little Mo" tournaments! The "Road to the Little Mo Nationals" will begin in the spring and summer with the four "Little Mo" Regionals (North, South, East, West) held in different cities across the United States - open to any USA player (ages 8-12)! The three "Little Mo" Internationals will begin in the summer - open to any player worldwide (ages 8-16)! We are aiming to post our 2024 tournament schedule by February/March of next year. When it is available, it will be posted on our MCB website (www.mcbtennis.org) under the "Tournaments" tab. We will most likely be following a very similar schedule compared to this year, which is still included on our website. In the meantime, we would recommend signing up for our monthly newsletter to ensure that you receive the most up-to-date information throughout the year including when registration is officially open next year. If you are not already subscribed, you can sign up on our MCB website (www.mcbtennis.org) at the bottom of the page.

Looking for a Special Present to put under the Christmas Tree?

What about a trip to a "Little Mo" tournament next year? If you are looking for a memorable gift for your child, you might put a "Little Mo" tournament under the Christmas tree as a special gift from Santa. They are sure to be surprised, and it will be a unique opportunity to meet new friends and see different styles of play from around the country and world. Stay tuned for more information in our February/March newsletters on registration for the 2024 "Little Mo" tournaments!

Stay tuned for fun and exciting activities from the "Little Mo" Club! For more information on future giveaways and contests, please check out and follow the Instagram page: @littlemoclub! Also, be sure to fill out your player's profile so you can participate in all of the fun activities (for active members with a full profile only). Don't forget to add your picture so your friends can recognize you!

If you have any questions about the "Little Mo" Club or how to activate your account, please send an email to: info@littlemoclub.com. Thanks so much!

Would you like to be a Sponsor of the "Little Mo" Tournaments?

We are actively looking for sponsors for the 2024 "Little Mo" tournaments. If you are interested or you know someone who works for a company that would be interested in being a sponsor of our "Road to the Little Mo Nationals" circuit and/or the three "Little Mo" Internationals (Colorado, New Jersey, Florida), please send an email to: carol@mcbtennis.org. We will be happy to send a customized PowerPoint sponsorship proposal, which would include branding opportunities such as placing banners at various sites across the country, advertising in the player program and booklet, having your logo on the tournament t-shirts, and promoting your product(s) to our players, parents, and their families.

Do you have any Creative Ideas for the "Little Mo" Tournaments?

We are always trying to improve the "Little Mo" tournaments and create a fun and memorable experience for our players and their families. If you have a creative idea or suggestion for the "Little Mo" tournaments, please send an email to: carol@mcbtennis.org.

Would you like to help the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation?

Thank you so much for your support of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation and the "Little Mo" tournaments! It is the mission of the Foundation to organize memorable tennis events for young players while also providing opportunities to develop their game, enjoy tennis, and learn good values such as character, sportsmanship, and kindness. The Foundation has promoted the development of junior tennis for over 55 years and continues to benefit countless numbers of boys and girls throughout the United States and worldwide. We greatly appreciate any donations so that we can continue to offer the "Little Mo" tournaments in honor of Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly Brinker.

If you are interested in making a donation, please click on the "Make A Donation" button above. All donations are tax-deductible as the Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. We are also always looking for volunteers at the "Little Mo" tournaments so if you would like to earn community service hours or volunteer your time, please send an email to: carol@mcbtennis.org. We thank you for your kind consideration and wish you all the very best for a wonderful and memorable rest of your year!

If you were a "Little Mo" player and you have recently signed with a college tennis team or are currently playing college tennis, please email: carol@mcbtennis.org to be featured in our next newsletter.

A Special Thank You To Our Sponsors:

The "Little Mo" tournaments are hosted by MCB in memory of its tennis champion namesake, Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly Brinker. Born in San Diego, Maureen became the first woman to achieve the Grand Slam of tennis in 1953 by winning all four major championships (Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US Open) in the same year. She was well known for her powerful groundstrokes from the baseline, which earned her the famous nickname "Little Mo" - a comparison to the explosive firepower of the battleship USS Missouri, also known as "Big Mo". Only five players in the history of tennis have won the calendar Grand Slam, and Maureen is still the only American woman and the youngest at age 18 to have accomplished this magnificent feat. She won an amazing nine consecutive championship titles (three US, three Wimbledon, two French, one Australian) - undefeated in 50 matches.

Unfortunately, her spectacular career would be short-lived due to a horseback riding accident in 1954. While she could no longer compete at an elite level, Maureen's legacy as a legendary tennis star would continue through the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation (MCB). Founded in 1968 with her dear friend Nancy Jeffett, MCB's mission would be the promotion and support of junior tennis development worldwide. That same year, she was inducted into the prestigious International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Sadly, Maureen lost her valiant battle with cancer the following year and passed away at the young age of 34. Although her tennis career only spanned three years, many premier sportswriters consider Maureen Connolly to be the finest of all female players for her achievements on and off the court. In 2019, she was honored by the United States Postal Service with her very own "Little Mo" Commemorative Forever Stamp.

Today, MCB continues to support the growth of junior tennis by organizing numerous "Little Mo" tournaments throughout the United States annually for talented boys and girls (ages 8-16). These events are designed to provide outstanding competition at the regional, national, and international level while also encouraging players to develop new friendships, learn good sportsmanship, and most of all, have fun. The "Little Mo" tournaments are also unique in that young players have the opportunity to gauge their ability against others born in the same year from around the world (i.e., 8's play 8's, 9's play 9's). MCB strives to empower young athletes by giving travel grants, "Mo" Coins for prizes, and also Sportsmanship and Kindness awards to deserving individuals in honor of Maureen's legacy. The Foundation also contributes financially to many notable programs including the National Junior Tennis League for inner-city youth and Invest In A Child for deaf and wheelchair tennis.

Over the years, many well-known collegiate players and famous tennis professionals have participated in the "Little Mo" tournaments including Andy Roddick, Taylor Fritz, Sebastian Korda, Emma Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez, Dominic Thiem, Belinda Bencic, Jenson Brooksby, Madison Keys, Tommy Paul, Brandon Nakashima, Vasek Pospisil, Borna Coric, Coco Gauff, Mackie McDonald, Ryan Harrison, Taylor Townsend, Donald Young, Steve Johnson, Sofia Kenin, Denis Kudla, CiCi Bellis, and Ana Konjuh among many others. Roddick won the "Little Mo" in 1992 (age 10) and he said, "the 'Little Mo' was my first big win!" Gauff won the "Little Mo" in 2012 (age 8) and she said, "the 'Little Mo' is where the belief began." This is all wonderful news for junior tennis and we are so proud that the "Little Mo" continues to be one of the most popular events for young players around the world.

MCB has promoted the development of junior tennis for over 55 years and continues to benefit countless numbers of young players worldwide. It is our mission to provide a special and meaningful experience at all of our events while also inspiring outstanding attributes at a young age such as fair play, good character, integrity, sportsmanship, kindness, giving back, and an "attitude of gratitude". Thousands of players compete in the "Little Mo" tournaments annually and we hope to see even more youngsters play this wonderful "sport for a lifetime". We would also very much appreciate your help in spreading the word about the "Little Mo" so we can continue to impact future generations of young players. The MCB Tennis Foundation is led by its directors: Cindy Brinker Simmons (President), Brenda Brinker Bottum (Vice President), and Elizabeth Jeffett (Vice President). Carol Weyman (Executive Vice President), Matthew Cody (Tournament Operations Manager), and Tiffany Hollebeck (Tournament Operations Coordinator) organize the "Little Mo" tournaments. Thank you so much for your support of the "Little Mo" tournaments and the legacy of Maureen Connolly Brinker. For more information about the "Little Mo", please visit our website at: www.mcbtennis.org and click on "Tournaments". Play "Mo" Tennis!