The Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation (MCB) would like to wish all of our players, parents, and friends a Happy Valentine's Day! May your holiday be filled with friendship, happiness, and lots of love!

We would like to invite our players to email a Valentine's Day themed drawing or photo by Wednesday, February 15 at 5:00pm (Central Time). Please email your player's name and drawing to: matthew@mcbtennis.org to be included in the contest. All drawings will be posted on the MCB Twitter page (@mcbtennis) on Tuesday and the drawing with the most "likes" by Friday, February 17 at 5:00pm (Central Time) will receive a complimentary entry ($250 value) into a 2023 "Little Mo" Internationals of their choice (California, New York or Florida). Remember to click on the "heart" icon to like a photo on Twitter!

Everyone who participates in this contest will receive a $25 prize at the "Little Mo" Internationals. Please visit the "Little Mo/Big Mo" Booth during any of the three international tournaments to receive your prize. Good luck to all of our players!

We hope you and your family will join us for all of the fun and festivities this year! Sites and dates for our 2023 tournament schedule including the "Road to the Little Mo Nationals" and "Little Mo" Internationals will be posted later this week on our MCB website (www.mcbtennis.org) under the "Tournaments" tab. We will be following a very similar schedule compared to last year, which is still included on our website. The 26th Annual "Road to the Little Mo Nationals" will begin in the spring with the four Regionals (North, South, East, West) held in different cities across the United States. The Regionals are open to any player who lives in the United States and its territories (ages 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12). The three "Little Mo" Internationals will be held in California, New York, and Florida. The Internationals are open to any player worldwide (ages 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12). The "Big Mo" divisions have also been added in California and Florida for ages 13, 14, 15, and 16.

Thank you so much for your support of the "Little Mo" as it is truly a "one of a kind" tournament for young tennis players. Approximately 2,000 youngsters from over 70 different countries worldwide compete in the "Little Mo" tournaments annually and we hope to see even more youngsters play this wonderful "sport for a lifetime" this year. Play "Mo" Tennis!

MCB welcomes its new Tournament Operations Coordinator, Tiffany Hollebeck!

We are so very excited to welcome Tiffany Hollebeck as our new Tournament Operations Coordinator for the "Little Mo" tournaments!

"MCB is thrilled, absolutely thrilled, to have Tiffany join the 'Little Mo' team," said Cindy Brinker Simmons, President of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation and daughter of "Little Mo". "She has such passion for the grand sport of tennis and brings a unique experience to our tournament operations and multi-dimensional programs. Tiffany's energy, enthusiasm, and excellence inspire everyone around her. We are so thankful to have Tiffany's leadership and look forward to introducing her to our 'Little Mo' community."

Tiffany is from Plano, Texas and she has held a racquet since she was six years old. Tennis has been a huge part of her life growing up, playing junior tournaments and winning state on the Plano West high school tennis team. She later played for the SMU women's team and was named captain her senior year. Tiffany is a self-motivated young woman who has a passion for helping others. After graduating from SMU, she went to MSU-Texas in Wichita Falls where she received her master's degree in Sports Administration and was also the men's and women's graduate assistant coach. She is excited to continue being a part of the tennis community while remaining close to home. Tiffany also enjoys traveling and seeing lots of interesting places around the United States.

Show "Mo" Love

This Valentine's Day and Surprise Your Player with a Trip to California!

The 1st leg of the 2023 "Little Mo" Slam begins in California! We hope you and your family will plan on joining us at the beginning of July for our first international event of the year. It will be a memorable vacation for the entire family with many sights to see: Disneyland, Sea World, Universal Studios, Legoland, Hollywood, San Diego Zoo, and the beautiful California beaches are a short drive away. Stay tuned for more information in our next newsletter on registration for the 2023 "Little Mo" Internationals in California!

We will be celebrating a very special milestone this year - the 70th Anniversary of Maureen Connolly's Grand Slam win in 1953. In honor of her Grand Slam win, MCB created the ultimate challenge in 2013 for any player to win the "Little Mo" Slam. If a player can win their yellow ball division at all three "Little Mo" Internationals in the same year, they will receive the tallest trophy ever given in junior tennis (6' tall) and the title of "Little Mo" Slam Champion! The 2023 "Little Mo" Slam will continue this year with the 1st leg in California (July), the 2nd leg in New York (August), and the third and final leg in Florida (December). There have been nine players who have accomplished this magnificent achievement in the past ten years. Who will win the "Little Mo" Slam title in this special anniversary year?

2023 US Team wins Inaugural United Cup with Two Former "Little Mo" Champions!

Congratulations to two former "Little Mo" champions on their wins at the inaugural United Cup earlier this year in Sydney, Australia: Taylor Fritz (#7 ATP) and Madison Keys (#23 WTA). Keys won her match 6-3, 6-2 over Lucia Bronzetti and Fritz secured the win for the US Team after defeating Matteo Berrettini: 7-6(4), 7-6(6). 

"It's great. It's amazing for the team to win this event. We came in with really high hopes, or at least I did, for the event," Fritz said, according to the official website. "I was really happy to be in that position to clinch the match." Please click here for photo credits and to read the full article on the CNN website.

In 2008, Fritz finished as the Boys 11 Runner-Up in the "Little Mo" Nationals held at the Austin Tennis Academy in Texas.

In 2011, Keys helped lead the USA team to victory in the 2011 Maureen Connolly Challenge Trophy in Eastbourne, England. The Maureen Connolly Challenge Trophy is an annual competition between top Girls 18 & under players from the USA and Great Britain.

US Team Confirmed for 2023 Davis Cup with Three Former "Little Mo" Players!

Congratulations to three former "Little Mo" players that qualified for the 2023 Davis Cup after Team USA’s win against Uzbekistan 4-0: Mackenzie McDonald (#56 ATP), Tommy Paul (#18 ATP), and Denis Kudla (#95 ATP)!

"The first step is to actually qualify and that's what we've done, but we don't really look further than that and well done to everybody that was involved in this process and we look forward to the next steps," said Interim Captain of the US Davis Cup team, David Nainkin. Please click here for photo credits on the Davis Cup Twitter and click here to read the full article on the Davis Cup website.

As an 8-year-old, McDonald played in the 2003 "Little Mo" Nationals and he was one of the Consolation Semifinalists. The following year, McDonald returned and became the Boys 9 Consolation Winner at the 2004 "Little Mo" Nationals. In 2005, he came back again as a 10-year-old and finished in 4th place. Finally, in 2006, McDonald won the Boys 11 age division after four consecutive years of competing in the "Little Mo" Nationals. That same year, he was also the Boys 11 Runner-Up at the "Little Mo" Internationals in Arlington, Texas.

Paul was the Boys 8 and Boys 9 Finalist at the 2005 and 2006 "Little Mo" Nationals in Austin, Texas. He also played in the 2006 "Little Mo" Internationals in Arlington, Texas.

Kudla competed as a 9-year-old in the 2001 "Little Mo" Nationals in Austin, Texas, and then returned the following year to become the Boys 10 Finalist at the 2002 "Little Mo" Nationals.

Former "Little Mo" Champion Belinda Bencic wins Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open for her 8th Career WTA Title

Congratulations to former "Little Mo" champion Belinda Bencic on winning the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open in United Arab Emirates! Bencic, the #2 seed, played an exciting final match against the #8 seed Liudmila Samsonova before she eventually triumphed in three sets after saving three match points: 1-6, 7-6(8), 6-4. This victory was Bencic's 8th career title and her second Hologic WTA tour singles title of the year!

"I'm really happy to walk away with the title here and I think I played some really good matches, but they were also tough," said Bencic. "I proved to myself that I can really fight hard and just stay in the matches and somehow turn it around." Please click here for photo credits and to read the full article on the WTA website.

You can also click here to watch the highlights including the three match points saved by Bencic in the final match.

In 2006, Bencic was the Girls 9 champion at the "Little Mo" Internationals held at the Arlington Tennis Center in Texas. She is currently ranked #9 in singles and #94 in doubles in the world - keep up the great work!

Former "Little Mo" Champions Shine at the 2023 Dallas Open!

Congratulations to all of the former "Little Mo" players who competed in the Dallas Open in its second annual year at SMU's Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex in Dallas, Texas:

Nick Chappell

Christopher Eubanks

Taylor Fritz

Steve Johnson

Liam Krall

Mitchell Krueger

Denis Kudla

Pranav Kumar

Thai-Son Kwiatkowski

Mackenzie McDonald

Adam Neff

"Little Mo" Player Tomas Giraldo Selected for the Dallas Open Coin Toss!

Photo at the Dallas Open (left to right): Adam Neff, Pranav Kumar, Tomas Giraldo (“Little Mo” player), Matej Sabanov (#94 ATP in Doubles), and Ivan Sabanov (#90 ATP in Doubles). Photo credits: Alex Smith.

Congratulations to "Little Mo" player Tomas Giraldo on being selected for the coin toss at the 2023 Dallas Open! He flipped the coin for the first Doubles match of the tournament which featured two former “Little Mo” champions, Adam Neff and Pranav Kumar, who are both currently playing on the SMU men’s tennis team. Tomas is 9 years old and from Dallas, Texas. He attends Campbell Christian Academy School and trains at T Bar M Racquet Club. He is a local rising star having won the "Little Mo" Regionals twice at 8 and 9 years old, placed 2nd and 3rd at the "Little Mo" Nationals and 3rd at the "Little Mo" Internationals in Florida. Tomas also enjoys playing the piano. MCB was so proud to have Tomas represent the “Little Mo”!

Neff won 4th Place in the Boys 9 division at the 2010 "Little Mo" Nationals in Austin, Texas. He also competed in the 2009 and 2010 "Little Mo" Internationals held in Port St. Lucie, Florida and Bradenton, Florida respectively. 

Kumar was the Boys 11 Consolation Winner at the 2010 "Little Mo" Texas Sectionals and also a Consolation Semifinalist at the "Little Mo" South Regionals later that year in Arlington, Texas.

A Special Thank You to the Dallas Open, SMU, and its Sponsors!

All of us at MCB would like to congratulate the Dallas Open tournament staff and volunteers on another successful event this year! Grant Chen (SMU men's tennis coach), Peter Lebedevs (Tournament Director), and John Isner (#37 ATP and local Dallas resident) have all been instrumental in its organization. A special thank you to SMU for hosting this wonderful pro tennis event in Dallas. Similarly, SMU's Moody Coliseum hosted the Virginia Slims of Dallas, a professional women's tournament organized by MCB for almost 20 years (1970s-80s). In 2019, SMU also hosted the unveiling of the Maureen Connolly Brinker postage stamp and the "Maureen Connolly Brinker Coaching Suite" for the tennis teams (see picture below). SMU has been an outstanding partner with MCB for many years and they have shared in some of the Foundation's most memorable occasions. Maureen Connolly Brinker was also an SMU honorary graduate!

We would like to thank all of the sponsors who have helped bring pro tennis back to Dallas, especially RBC Wealth Management. For the past few years, RBC has been the Presenting Sponsor of the "Little Mo" Nationals in Austin, Texas and they will continue their sponsorship this year. We are so proud to have RBC as our sponsor and we appreciate their impact in tennis. Congratulations to the Dallas Open and its sponsors for all they do for their community and the sport of tennis - we all look forward to next year's event!

Former "Little Mo" Champion Stacey Samonte receives scholarship to West Point

Congratulations to former "Little Mo" champion Stacey Samonte who received a tennis scholarship to West Point in New York! In 2017, Stacey was the Girls 12 winner at both the "Little Mo" Internationals in Newport Beach, California and the "Little Mo" Internationals in Forest Hills, New York. She also received the prestigious Kindness Award at the New York international event and returned the following year to win the Girls 13 division at the 2018 "Little Mo" Internationals in Newport Beach, California. We are so proud of your achievement and keep up the great work in college! 

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

We are actively looking for sponsors for the 2023 "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 (California, New York, 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 consideration and wish you all the very best for a wonderful and memorable year ahead!

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 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, 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" this year. 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) and 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!