NEW YORK – Virginia men’s tennis alum Brian Vahaly has been elected the USTA Chairman of the Board and President for a two-year term that begins on January 1, 2025, as announced today (Nov. 18) by the United States Tennis Association.
The Board is responsible for setting organizational strategy and overseeing financials for the USTA, the national governing body for tennis in the United States.
Vahaly will assume the role from outgoing Chairman Dr. Brian Hainline, who served from 2023-2024. Vahaly will become the youngest chairman of any Grand Slam and the first member of the LGBTQ community to serve in the role.
Additionally, Vahaly has named Virginia men’s tennis head coach Andrés Pedroso as a USTA Presidential Appointee, serving in a board-adjacent role.
“It’s an honor to be working alongside such a talented and passionate group of individuals,” Vahaly said. “Each Board member brings a unique perspective, and together, we’re a team driven by a deep commitment to the game we all love.”
Vahaly played on UVA’s tennis team from 1997 to 2001. He was the ACC Rookie of the Year in his first season with the Cavaliers, becoming UVA’s first tennis All-American in 1999. He was ranked as high as No. 2 in singles, finishing as an NCAA Finalist in 2001, and was the first-ever UVA player to earn a No. 1 ranking in doubles (with Huntley Montgomery). He ended his collegiate career as a three-time All-American and a two-time ACC Player of the Year. He had his jersey retired at UVA in January 2011.
Vahaly played professional tennis for seven years, reaching a world ranking of No. 64. He was the only male college graduate in the ATP Top 100 at the time and remains the only current or former ATP player to publicly come out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. His run to the 2003 Indian Wells singles quarterfinals included defeating No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero and he owns a victory against the No. 1 doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan while teaming with Andy Roddick.
Since retiring from professional tennis, Vahaly has distinguished himself as a respected chief executive with a track record of success in operational turnarounds, driving growth and improving profitability for private equity-backed, early-stage companies in the health and wellness sector.
“My focus as Chairman and President will be on applying a business-minded, data-driven approach to build on the incredible growth we’ve seen in the last five years to reach our goal of 35…