RICHMOND, Ky. – The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and USTA Southern have awarded a combined $32,853 in Tennis Venue Services (TVS) grant funding to Eastern Kentucky University to help fund the resurfacing of the Tom Higgins Outdoor Courts. The project restores all eight courts at the facility, home of EKU men's and women's tennis and a public venue for players across the region.

The resurfacing was completed in October of 2026. All eight courts now carry a new maroon and grey color scheme, matching EKU's school colors. The work included crack repair, acrylic resurfacer and color coats, and new playing lines.

"We would like to sincerely thank and recognize both the USTA and the USTA Southern organizations for the grants that they generously awarded in excess of $30,000," EKU men's and women's tennis head coach Tom Boysen said. "Along with major monetary contributions from EKU alumni and supporters, these grants enabled us to resurface and rebrand our eight outdoor courts last month. The improvements to the playing surface, along with the new EKU color scheme, truly give us one of the premier college tennis venues in the entire region. The Richmond tennis community is thriving, and we are so excited to be able to offer such a wonderful facility to the EKU Tennis teams and to the community in general."

The grant builds on a growing partnership between EKU and the USTA. The EKU Tennis Center already runs court reservations, leagues, clinics and tournaments through the USTA's platform, and the refreshed surfaces will support that programming.

About the Tom Higgins Outdoor Courts
The Tom Higgins Outdoor Courts opened in spring of 2015 next to the Greg Adams Indoor Tennis Center. The facility has eight hard courts and covered spectator seating. Together the two venues form the EKU Tennis Center, which hosts league play, junior programs, tournaments and lessons for the public through community memberships.

The courts honor Tom Higgins, who coached EKU men's tennis for 28 seasons and the women's team for seven. His men's teams won 339 dual matches, and 94 percent of his players earned their undergraduate degrees.

About the USTA Tennis Venue Services Grant Program
The USTA's Tennis Venue Services grant program helps improve existing tennis venues and build new ones, to create more places to play in communities across the country. The USTA expanded the program in 2025 to keep up with rising demand as tennis participation grows nationwide. Since 2005 it has awarded more than $34 million in TVS grants, including more than $16 million in 2025 alone. That money supported nearly 300 projects and more than 2,500 courts. Grant recipients also receive project management help from the USTA's TVS team from start to finish.