By Karen Ronney
Calling all tennis friends to join the Southern California Tennis Association Foundation to celebrate an amazing book launch featuring tennis legend Charlie Pasarell. The book is called Serving First: Dreams Realized and Lessons Learned from Family, Friends, and a Life in Tennis, and this celebration will be held on August 19, 2026, at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club.
Pasarell, a Puerto Rican-American tennis champion, was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in 1967. He was a five-time national champion in Puerto Rico and attended UCLA where he roomed with teammate Arthur Ashe. Pasarell won the 1966 NCAA singles and doubles titles and was the top collegiate player in the nation. He won 23 singles titles as a pro and reached a career high of No. 11 in the world.
Off the court, Pasarell made an enormous impact when in 1972 he partnered with Ashe and Sheridan Snyder to launch the National Junior Tennis and Learning program. It is still thriving today offering free or low-cost tennis to underserved and at-risk youth. 
In the professional level, Pasarell transitioned into administration and rebuilt the Indian Wells Tennis Garden tournament into one of the top events in the world. Today that tennis tournament, now the BNP Paribas, is aptly named a “Tennis Paradise.”
“We are excited to be a part of this event and honor Charlie’s stellar career,” said Linda Milan, the Executive Director for the SCTA Foundation. “His accomplishments are legendary and experiences will be both inspirational and motivational to hear. He helped change the world for under-resourced juniors.”
Journalist Richard Evans, a respected long-time tennis journalist and author of 23 books, will join Charlie for this special evening to trade behind-the-scenes stories and tennis history from the 1960s to the present day. Richard is a fellow inductee in the International Tennis Hall of Fame and a long-time friend of Charlie. Finally, Joel Drucker, a historian-at-large for the Hall of Fame and co-author of Serving First, will moderate what is sure to be a lively and engaging conversation.
Attendees will enjoy a full bar, four stations of hors d’oeuvres, exceptional stories, and autographed copies of Charlie’s book are included at a cost of $125 per person. All proceeds after costs will be donated to the SCTA Foundation. To reserve your spot for this special evening, please CLICK HERE.
For questions or information, please contact Linda Milan at lmilan@sctafoundation.org.
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About the Southern California Tennis Association Foundation:
We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization and is the charitable arm of USTA Southern California. The Foundation’s mission is to “Change lives and build communities through tennis.” Since 2020, the SCTA Foundation has had a community impact of giving over $1million in tennis grants and tennis scholarships to deserving youth, adults, tennis organizations, tennis facilities and tennis programs to make tennis an equal opportunity sport, accessible to all, regardless of age, ability, ethnicity, or economic background. Visit us on Social Media on Instagram and Facebook. To learn more about the SCTA Foundation go to: www.sctafoundation.org. To donate go to: sctafoundation.org/donate/.
