ATP professional Nicholas Monroe and Ryan Harrison recently signed a two-year agreement with Founder and President of the Anguilla Tennis Academy (ATA) Mr. Mitchelle Lake to serve as Ambassadors for the ATA.
Both Monroe and Harrison are American professional tennis players who have previously visited Anguilla through the efforts of Lake.
Nicholas Monroe is from Oklahoma City, He turned pro in 2004. Monroe is a former top 30 ATP player and has four ATP titles to his name. In the past six years he became a two-time quarter finalist at the French Open and the US Open.
“I’m so excited to be an ambassador for the Anguilla Tennis Academy! I played on the tennis tour for 18 years, and being a part of the ATA is a way to give back to the sport that has given me so much,” Monroe stated. “The academy has improved the lives of so many children that have few resources, and I can’t wait to help in any way I can to improve the tennis and lives of all the children apart of the ATA.”
Ryan Harrison is from Shreveport, LA. He has been playing professional tennis since 2007. At the peak of his singles career, Harrison was ranked No. 40, and his doubles career – No. 15. He has one ATP singles title to his name, and four ATP doubles titles; in 2017, Harrison won the French Open championship in doubles.
“I am extremely excited to partner with the Anguilla Tennis Academy and Malliouhana for this initiative to help promote tennis on the Island,” he said. “The opportunity to work with the great children of Anguilla is one that I am looking forward to for many years to come.”
On November 18, 2022, Nicholas Monroe and Ryan Harrison took a trip to Anguilla. The tennis stars performed in an exhibition at the Anguilla Tennis Academy and hosted a free clinic for the students enrolled in the ATA after school programme. ATA President and Founder Mitchelle Lake had the pleasure of welcoming them to the island and ensuring a successful stay.
“I am thrilled that Nicholas Monroe and Ryan Harrison, two accomplished ATP players, have agreed to become ambassadors for the Anguilla Tennis Academy. I am also pleased that Malliouhana Resort has partnered with the ATA in this endeavor,” Lake said. “I look forward to the many opportunities ahead that will be achieved through this great partnership.”
With this initiative, both professional players will continue to bring much exposure to the ATA locally, regionally, and internationally. Additionally, ATA players will learn from tennis professionals thus motivating them to become better players both mentally and physically.
The Anguilla Tennis Academy (ATA) is a nonprofit organization established under the laws of Anguilla. Since 1996, the ATA has provided tennis to the island of Anguilla as well as other surrounding countries. To this date over 5000 participants have been introduced to the sport of tennis and 13 graduates of the programme have received tennis athletic scholarships to prestigious Division II colleges in the USA.
