Nats at Kalamazoo
• 1943-1946 - Tournament played on five Grasstex courts next to the railroad tracks where the Anderson Athletic Center is now located. Player entries totaled 90. No admission was charged for the tournament.
• 1946 - To prevent losing the tournament to another community, Kalamazoo constructs a new stadium, at a cost of $5,000, and names it for Dr. Allen B. Stowe, the first director of the National Junior Boys' Tennis Championships in Kalamazoo (1943-1957). Dr. Stowe was a Kalamazoo College professor and tennis coach, ultimately coaching his teams to 18 straight MIAA titles. Tournament moved to its present site; the surface of the nine courts was red clay. Admission was charged for the first time - $1.20 for semis and finals. Player entries grow to 112.
• 1953 - The first broadcast of the tournament finals by WKZO-AM radio.
• 1957 - Rolla Anderson succeeds Tournament Director Dr. Allen B. Stowe, who was fatally injured in an auto/pedestrian accident on the campus of Kalamazoo College.
• 1958 - Tennis House, featuring two Grasstex courts and the first indoor tennis facility in Michigan, was erected.
• 1961 - Rain falls on five of the seven days of the tournament. The National Doubles are played indoors in the new Field House for the first time. Singles Semifinals and Finals are both played on the same day, Sunday, because of the frequent rain delays.
• 1962 - The USTA increases maximum age for younger age division from 15-and under to 16-and under. The USTA recognizes Kalamazoo College for its role as tournament host for two decades.
• 1963 - This marks the last Nationals in Kalamazoo to be played on the nine red clay courts of Stowe Stadium.
• 1964 - Stowe Stadium rededicated after Teniko red clay surface is replaced by green-and-white all-weather Laykold courts. Lights are added with a total of 438 1500-watt bulbs on eight steel poles; lights were turned on during the Exhibition for the first time ever. No admission is charged for the inaugural night session at Stowe Stadium. Entries grow to 243. To spark public interest, season ticket prices are reduced from $5.50 to $3.
• 1970 - Tournament length expanded from seven to nine days, season tickets hiked from $5 to $10 for adults. Patron seats under the canopy are $25 for the length of the tournament.
• 1977 - Ramesh Krishnan is the first foreign entry to win 16 and under division singles title.
• 1978 - Foreign entries are no longer eligible as the tournament changes from "Open" to "USTA National" classification. The Wild Card selections are instituted by the USTA.
• 1979 - Stowe Stadium undergoes it's second major renovation at a cost of $165,000 with the addition of courts 10 and 11.
• 1980 - ESPN televises the tournament for the first time.
• 1981 - The Tennis House is converted into the gymnasium.
• 1987 - The Tournament has been played at Kalamazoo College for 45 consecutive years and is honored by USTA President Gordon Jorgensen.
• 1988 - Thomas S. Markin Racquet Center opened, with four indoor tennis courts, three racquetball courts and one squash court. A record gallery, estimated in excess of 6,000, packs Stowe Stadium to see the Exhibition featuring Andre Agassi (ranked #4 in the world) vs. Mats Wilander (ranked #3).
• 1989 - David Markin makes history: in his first term as President of the USTA, he serves as the Official Referee of the Nationals for the 15th year. It is the first time in the history of the USTA Nationals that a USTA President has doubled as a Tournament Referee.
• 1992 - The community celebrates 50 years of the Nationals in Kalamazoo. Events include the return of former champions for a Friday night Exhibition of Doubles. A statue of a young tennis player hitting an overhead, created by noted Kalamazoo sculptor Kirk Newman, includes plaques attached at the base honoring Dr. Stowe and Rolla Anderson. An anniversary book is written by Bob Wagner: The Nationals...and How They Grew in Kalamazoo. ESPN and USA cable television networks filmed tournament features for future use.
• 1993 - Following the 1993 Tournament and after 37 years as Tournament Director, Rolla Anderson retires and is succeeded by Timon Corwin. Corwin, a NCAA Division III Singles Champion while a student at Kalamazoo College who also graduated from Marquette University Law School also succeeds his mentor George Acker as the Men’s Tennis Coach at K-College.
• 1997 - A new draw format was initiated - going from 128 to 192 in each division, with seeding of 32 entries. The tournament increased from six days (Mon-Sat) to 10-days (Fri-Sun); 950 matches, 499 at WMU Sorensen Courts and 451 at K-College Stowe Stadium.
• 2000 - The Tournament name changes to USTA Boys’ 18 & 16 Super National Hard Court Championships.
• 2003 - USTA President Alan Schwartz states, "This Tournament is the class of junior tournaments in the world." Schwartz does not foresee the Nationals leaving Kalamazoo under his or any succeeding presidency.
• 2004 - The USTA allows Pros in the tournament for the first time, providing they meet the age requirements. The Tournament is once again designated the USTA Boys’ 18 & 16 National Championships, a change back to pre-2000, when it was christened USTA Boys’ 18 & 16 Super National Hard Courts.
• 2005 - Chair umpires are assigned to all matches for the first time in tournament history. Jim Courier and company film a movie, working title: The Nats at the Zoo during the tournament.
• 2006 - A new Deco Turf II blue surface greeted tournament contestants at the 11-court Stowe Stadium, the four Markin Center indoor courts and the newly renovated upper eight courts at Western Michigan University’s Sorensen Courts. Air conditioning was added to the Markin Racquet Center indoor courts. The USTA Western Tennis Association's Hall of Fame is relocated to the USTA Midwest Tennis Association’s new building in Indianapolis, Indiana. Individual Patron ticket prices for the season increase from $90 to $100 each.
• 2007 - Western Michigan University's twelve lower courts were renovated and surfaced with Deco Turf II Blue. This makes available 31 excellent US Open-quality hard courts that are the best in the world. Jim Courier’s documentary film, Unstrung: The Movie was premiered for the players & community. This marks the last tournament for Official Referee David Markin, and Tournament Director Timon Corwin. Mark Riley, Kalamazoo College Alumni and a NCAA Division All American, is named as new Tournament Director. 2007 also marks the 65th anniversary of the Tournament in Kalamazoo. Timon Corwin and David Markin’s photo profile plaques were added to The Winner sculpture by Kirk Newman. The Walk of Fame path from Stowe parking lot to the statue was added with bricks inscribed with the names of Volunteer “Green Jacket” recipients. History boards featuring 65 years of memorable players were produced and displayed at Stowe Stadium; Bob Wagner wrote a brief historical chronicle of the Nationals from 1943 – 2007.
• 2008 - New Tournament Director, Mark Riley and new Official Referee Darrell Davies take over. Professional player & Davis Cup Coach Patrick McEnroe visits the Tournament and speaks at the Volunteer Luncheon.
• 2009 - The Fischer Tower at Stowe Stadium receives a complete renovation. Originally constructed in 1946, The Tower has had only minor updates over the years. Additionally all eleven courts were renovated and resurfaced and the sound system was completely upgraded. Assistant Director Dr. Brian Garman, inventor of The Garman System, a widely-used computer system for scheduling matches, was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame housed in the Henry Field Stadium - University of Georgia.
• 2010 - Stowe Stadium outfitted with new mesh canopies over the seating area as well as a new tower public address system.
Western Michigan University resurfaces the top eight courts at the Sorensen Tennis Complex.
• 2011 - Persistent rain during three of the 10 days forced match delays and moved matches indoors. For the first time, the USTA mandated a 10-minute break between second and third sets for all 18s.
• 2012 - Kalamazoo College resurfaced all 11 courts at Stowe Stadium as well as the parking lot. New fencing was also erected for the first time in 50 years.
• 2013 - USTA Boys' 18 & 16 Nationals introduced live streaming of featured matches.
• 2014 - Website live streaming of featured matches on Courts 1, 2 and 3 was provided throughout the Tournament.
• 2017 - The community celebrates 75 years of the Nationals in Kalamazoo. Former players Andy Roddick and Michael Russell returned to a sell-out crowd for the Rx Optical/Greenleaf Trust & Greenleaf Hospitality Exhibition. Roddick won the 1999 USTA Boys' 18 doubles national championship and was the 1998 runner-up in the Boys' 16 singles tournament. Russell won the 1994 USTA Boys' 16 national championship.
• 2020 - For the first time since the Nationals were held in Kalamazoo the tournament was canceled by the USTA due to the worldwide Covid-19 outbreak.
• 2021
• 2022 - Wheelchair Tennis Exhibition - Inaugural Wheelchair Champion: Charlie Cooper
• 2023 - The USTA Bill Talbert Junior Sportsmanship Award and The USTA National Junior Scholar Athlete Award presented to Dylan Tosi and Xander Barber, respectively.
The Bill Talbert award is given in honor of 1967 Hall of Famer Bill Talbert, who was highly regarded for his high standards of sportsmanship and is presented in conjunction with the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The USTA Scholar Athlete Award recognizes one male and one female high school junior or senior, nationally ranked in the top 100 with an unweighted GPA of 3.75 and higher on a 4.0 scale, and who demonstrates leadership in the tennis community through strong personal character and achievements. Award recipients receive $2,000 from the Wingfield Society, an organization of USTA volunteers dedicated to preserving the history of tennis and named for Major Walter C. Wingfield, who is recognized as the inventor of the modern game.
