Two rising stars of American tennis receive huge cash grants to boost their ambitions

Kevin Palmer
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Ethan Quinn and Fiona Crawley are the recipients of this year's Hurd Award
Ethan Quinn and Fiona Crawley are the recipients of this year's Hurd Award

Danielle Collins, Mackenzie McDonald, Christopher Eubanks and Peyton Stearns are among the stand-out names to have benefited from the Universal Tennis Foundation Hurd Awards in recent years and two new rising stars have been handed a chance to follow in their footsteps.

Continuing in the tradition started by Mark Hurd and Oracle, the Universal Tennis Foundation Hurd Awards are player grants made possible by a gift from the Hurd family.

Grants of $100,00 each are awarded annually to assist a young American male and female player transitioning from college to professional competition.

Now this year’s recipients have been unveiled, with Ethan Quinn and Fiona Crawley handed the financial support that could allow them to take their careers to the next level.

Competing for the University of Georgia, Quinn won the 2023 NCAA singles tournament as a redshirt freshman. 

He has played on the UTR Pro Tennis Tour, competing in Newport Beach back in 2021, and won his first ITF title in June last year before reaching the final of an ATP Challenger last month.

Quinn came through qualifying to reach the main draw at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and at the age of 19, he is close to breaking into the top 250 on the ATP rankings.

“This will finance me to travel to tournaments like this one, be able to have world-class coaches, and be able to train every single day in world-class environments so that some day I can be playing this type of tournament every single year and every single week,” said Quinn. 

Crawley is a senior at the University of North Carolina and led the Tar Heels to the 2023 NCAA team championship before winning the NCAA doubles trophy (with Carson Tanguilig).

Balancing her college career with starting a pro career, the 22-year-old has already won two ITF titles and as a wild card entry at the 2023 US Open, she qualified for the main draw.

READ MORE: Peyton Stearns talks to Tennis365 about her stunning rise and dealing with pressure

“This grant is really just going to change my life,” said Crawley. “Tennis is an expensive sport, and there’s a lot more that goes into it than just playing the sport and being on court, which is my favorite part of all of it.

“I played a few professional tournaments and just how expensive it is getting to the site and the planes and the hotels and the Ubers and the food and everything. It is so expensive.”

In addition to naming Quinn and Crawley the Hurd Award Champions, the Universal Tennis Foundation has partnered with the Youth Performance Institute (YPI) this year. Thanks to YPI board members Gordon Uehling (also a Hurd Awards Selection Committee member) and Dr. Jim Loehr (a world-renowned sports psychologist), the Hurd Awards have expanded their impact.

Hurd Award Finalists Cannon Kingsley (Ohio State) and Chloe Beck (Duke) will each receive grants of $40,000 to support their professional tennis aspirations.

“We are excited to announce the very deserving 2024 Hurd Award recipients,” said Darcy Leschly, President of the Universal Tennis Foundation.

“The Hurd Awards embody what we are as a foundation, supporting the growth of tennis players both on court and off.

“We thank Paula Hurd for her unwavering support and are thrilled at the expansion of the Hurd Awards with our generous new partners Gordon Uehling and Dr. Jim Loehr from the Youth Performance Institute.”

The Universal Tennis Foundation has also announced the 2024 Hurd Award Select Pro Team of additional deserving elite collegiate players who, along with the Champions and Finalists, will be invited to attend a Youth Performance Institute conference this summer where Dr. Loehr will speak and offer mentorship.

The 2024 Hurd Award Select Pro Team includes Lea Ma (Georgia), Kari Miller (Michigan), Ayana Akli (South Carolina), Micah Braswell (Texas), Andres Martin (Georgia Tech), and Garrett Johns (Duke).

Applicants and recipients of the Hurd Awards were evaluated and selected by the Universal Tennis Hurd Awards Selection Committee which includes Paula Hurd, Tracy Austin, Lindsay Davenport, Mary Joe Fernandez, Todd Martin, Peggy Michel, Gordon Uehling, Mark Leschly and Chase Hodges.

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