Winners abound at Danville Open tennis tourney

Published 3:33 pm Monday, July 28, 2025

There were plenty of winners at the Danville Open. Not all of them got a first-place medal, and some of them didn’t even play.

Danville is once again a regular stop for the Central Kentucky Tennis Series, which held the Danville Open on local courts for the second straight year.

The tournament provides another opportunity for amateur players of all ages, and that in turn provides opportunities for players on the local high school teams that benefit from the proceeds.

One hundred thirty-six players packed the courts at Millennium Park and John W. Bate Middle School for an event that is equal parts competition and camaraderie. They played in more than 20 divisions that allow for friends and family members to share their love of the game.

“There’s so many different options and a lot of fun for the whole family,” said Tao Costello, the tournament director. “There are all kinds of people making it a family event with the kids all the way up to all ages.”

The CKTS promotes amateur tennis in central Kentucky with a series of eight events in the summer and early fall. The Danville Open was revived last year as the successor to a previous CKTS event that ended more than a decade ago.

Chris Godby, the chairman of the CKTS board of directors, said he wanted to bring a tournament back to Danville after hearing about the Millennium Park tennis courts that opened in 2023.

“We didn’t have a Danville tournament for a long time and we always wanted to have one, and then I heard they built this new facility and I started asking around who could run (a tournament) and two or three people pointed me to Tao,” Godby said.

Costello, the tennis coach at Boyle County High School, directed the tournament with assistance from Danville High School boys tennis coach Greg Foley, and the two schools’ programs divided the proceeds.

Costello said it’s a significant fundraiser for both programs, and he said he’s grateful to the Danville-Boyle County Parks and Recreation Department and to the Danville schools for allowing the CKTS to use its courts.

He said he’s also happy that they were able to complete the tournament despite the threat of summer storms all weekend. Play was suspended late Saturday afternoon after a thunderstorm moved in, but the schedule was adjusted and the tournament was completed without interruption Sunday.

“It’s a lot of fun and a lot of work, but I’m happy that we got this one in,” Costello said.

Costello and Foley got in on the fun when they teamed up to compete in the men’s 40-and-over doubles division, where they finished second.

“I get to go put my tennis shoes on and get my racket,” Costello said.

Costello said many of the same players compete in multiple tournaments on the CKTS circuit.

“It’s like we’re just a big ol’ family out here,” he said. “We’re trying to beat each other, but at the end of the day sportsmanship is what it’s all about, and the experience. Yes, we give out medals, but you remember the experience and the good times.”

In addition to Costello and Foley, several other local players reached the finals in their respective divisions, including:

•       Matilyn Carlsen, the runner-up in girls 16-and-under singles.
•       Sara Dunn, the winner in women’s open singles.
•       Lee Jefferson and Grey Jefferson, runners-up in men’s 3.5 doubles.
•       Jacob King, a finalist in boys 18-and-under singles.
•       Skyler Lee, winner in men’s open singles.
•       Ella Morris, a winner in girls 18-and-under doubles.
•       Jennifer Watson, runner-up in women’s 3.5 singles.
•       Mason Young, who won in men’s 3.5 singles.
•       Emma Young and Mason Young, who won in open mixed doubles.