Let's do great things for men’s tennis, together!
Who we are
Mission Statement | 501(c)(3) | Board of Directors | About Our Members
Mission Statement
The purpose of the National Men’s Tennis Association is to foster tennis competition among senior men, ages 30 through 100+, on a nationwide basis. Our primary goal is to increase interest, raise awareness of the health benefits from participation, improve the quality of senior events and provide support to other established charities serving underprivileged children and seniors in the tennis community. We also aim to provide a forum for communicating with members, for exchanging information and ideas amongst members, and to provide input to the United States Tennis Association that would be of benefit to senior men’s tennis.
501(c)(3)
The NMTA is a qualified charitable 501(c)(3) organization fostering tennis competition among senior men, ages 30 through 100+, on a nationwide basis. We aim to improve the quality of senior events and provide support for the senior tennis community.
Board of Directors
Ed Wagner, 2022 - Current, President
Ed played collegiate tennis at the University at Buffalo and has remained deeply engaged in the sport through a wide range of competitive, administrative, and leadership roles. His experience includes serving as Chair of the USTA Southern Technology Committee, working as an on‑court producer for the Atlanta BB&T tournament, directing tennis programs at multiple clubs, teaching as a tennis professional, and coaching college tennis. He is also a certified USTA and ITA tennis official.
A passionate advocate for the sport, Ed continues to play competitively while promoting match play, camaraderie, and sportsmanship at both national and international levels. He is committed to growing the game by encouraging participation, elevating competitive opportunities, and supporting players of all backgrounds. His dedication reflects a lifelong belief in tennis as a pathway to community, character, and global connection.
Chris Bussert, 2024 - Current
Chris played collegiate tennis at Kalamazoo College from 1975 to 1978, earning NCAA Division III All‑American honors three times and capturing both the NCAA Division III National Singles and Doubles Championships in 1978. He later competed professionally, achieving ATP rankings of No. 579 in singles and No. 660 in doubles.
A standout in senior competition, Chris has earned multiple USTA National Top‑10 rankings in singles and doubles since 2015, including the No. 1 national ranking in Men’s 65s doubles in 2021. He has won two USTA National Father‑Son Championships—earning gold balls with his son Shaun at the Indoor Championships in 2016 and the Grass Courts in 2017.
Chris has represented the United States multiple times in the Gordon Trophy, the long‑running team event between the U.S. and Canada, and has served as captain of the Men’s 65s team. He has also represented the USTA Southern Section at the National Intersectional Championships since 2017 and has been the playing captain of the USTA Georgia Men’s Callen Cup (formerly Southern Senior Cup) team since 2016.
His contributions and achievements have been recognized with induction into the Indiana High School Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017 and the William “Slew” Hester USTA Southern Adult Men’s Player of the Year Award in 2022. Chris has also served USTA Georgia as Chair of the Adult Competition Committee and as a member of its Investment and Finance Committees. Off the court, he is Senior Counsel with Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton in Atlanta, Georgia.
Steve Duffel, 2018 - Current, NMTA President 2021 - 2024
Steve played collegiate tennis for the University of Arkansas from 1965 to 1967 and went on to become one of the Southern Section’s most accomplished senior competitors. He achieved No. 1 rankings in both Arkansas and the Southern Section in senior doubles numerous times and captured multiple Southern Senior Championships in men’s and mixed doubles. As playing captain of the Southern Section team at the USTA National Intersectional Championships, he led his team to an extraordinary 15 national titles in 17 years. He was also a member of the USTA Super Senior Nationals 9.0 National Championship teams in 2007, 2008, 2011, and 2012.
A dedicated volunteer since 1977, Steve has served USTA Arkansas, USTA Southern, and USTA National in a wide range of leadership roles, including tournament director, committee member and chair, President of USTA Arkansas (1981–1982), President of USTA Southern (1986–1987), and member of the USTA Executive Committee (1988–1989). He also chaired the Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation, served on numerous foundation boards as trustee and advisor, and, following his 2009 induction into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame, chaired its Hall of Fame Selection Committee for six years.
Steve’s contributions have been recognized with the Victor Sheshunoff Educational Merit Award and President’s Award in Arkansas, as well as the USTA Southern President’s Award and the prestigious Jacobs Bowl. He was inducted into the Arkansas Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.
Caerwyn Evans, 2023 - Current
Caerwyn is originally from Western Australia where he played as a state-grade elite junior.
In 2005, Caerwyn began teaching in the Coachella Valley at Indian Wells with the National Junior Tennis and Learning program (NJTL), impacting underprivileged kids.
Caerwyn guided the Palm Desert High School Girls Tennis Team to a CIF Championship victory in 2009 and from there continued his career at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden growing junior tennis and adult programming.
In 2013, Caerwyn became the Director of Tennis at Shadow Mountain Resort & Club in Palm Desert CA where he has his own academy and operation business which now operates multiple clubs and offers consulting services for coaches' training and tournament management.
In 2019 Caerwyn took over the largest amateur ITF and National-level tournament in the country, the Wilson World Tennis Classic, hosting over 700 players from all over the world.
In 2024, he became tournament director and part owner of the historic George Anich Senior Cup, formally the BNP Paribas Senior Cup. Caerwyn is on the Tennis Rwanda Children's Foundation (TRCF) team which provides not-for-profit tennis programming and coaches education for kids in need in Rwanda. Caerwyn's latest endeavors are to grow the sport of Padel in the Valley and western states as he operates the only public Padel court in the Coachella Valley.
Caerwyn is also a scratch golfer and hot air balloon pilot which originally brought him to California.
Steve Hayden, 2024 - Current
Steve, a retired technologist and educator, has been a dedicated leader in USTA governance and senior tennis for more than two decades. He has served on the National Adult/Senior Competition Committee for multiple terms beginning in 2006 and continuing today, and has been Vice President of the USTA Midwest Section Board of Directors since 2018. Since 2008, he has captained the Midwest Section’s National Men’s Intersections/Donoff Cup team, guiding the section’s top senior competitors in national team play.
A longtime tournament administrator, Steve has served as both a national and sectional tournament director since 2001, contributing to the growth and consistency of competitive play across all levels. His national service also includes membership on the Net‑Gen Local Play Committee from 2019 to 2022. Within the Midwest Section, he has held several key leadership roles, including Delegate at Large from 2008 to 2011 and Chair of the Adult Competition Committee from 2003 to 2008.
Tom Hebrank, 2026 - Current
Tom brings decades of experience in both tennis and financial leadership to the NMTA Board. A former collegiate player at Emory University, he began his tennis journey as a counselor at the renowned Van Der Meer Lawrenceville Tennis Camp and has remained deeply involved in the sport through community leadership and USTA national competition. Currently and in recent years ranked among the top 20 players in the United States in the 60+ and 65+ divisions, Hebrank continues to compete at the highest levels of senior tennis.
Professionally, Tom holds an MBA in Finance, Investments, and Banking from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and was a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) for 25 years. He has served as President of Advanced Planning Solutions since 1997, specializing in long-term care and Medicare planning. His leadership extends beyond business, having chaired the Financial Planning Association of Georgia and held officer roles in multiple homeowners’ associations where he championed tennis and community initiatives.
With his blend of tennis excellence, financial expertise, and governance experience, Hebrank is a valuable contributor to NMTA’s mission of advancing senior men’s tennis nationwide.
Noble Hendrix, 2021 - Current
Noble brings a remarkably diverse background to senior tennis, having built careers as a general surgeon, farmer, government official, pilot, and small‑business founder and consultant. He discovered tennis later in life, beginning at age 58, and quickly became a standout competitor, winning USTA North Carolina state singles and doubles titles as well as a Southern Section doubles championship. An enthusiastic supporter of senior tennis, Noble has been an active NMTA advocate, event creator, and tournament director, contributing to the growth and vitality of the sport. And for those who know him well, one more credential always seems to rise to the top—he’s simply the greatest guy ever.
Keith Richardson, 2026 - Current
Keith, born in Rock Hill, South Carolina, is a distinguished figure in American tennis. A standout at Appalachian State University, he played #1 singles from 1971–1975, compiling an extraordinary 109–11 record and winning three consecutive Southern Conference Singles Championships. He went on to compete professionally on the USTA and ATP Tours from 1976–1979, achieving a career-high world ranking of #63 in 1977 and reaching the third round of the 1979 US Open.
Keith’s career includes victories over top players such as Eddie Dibbs, Kevin Curren, Eliott Teltscher, and John Lloyd, and memorable matches against legends including John McEnroe and Guillermo Vilas. His contributions to the sport have been recognized with inductions into the Appalachian State Athletic Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, the York County (SC) Sports Hall of Fame, and the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame.
Beyond his playing career, Keith dedicated decades to professional and community tennis, as well as a successful 32 year career in the Property & Casualty Insurance industry. Keith and his wife Marilyn are the proud parents of two children and two grandchildren, and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year. Retired since 2018, Keith now lives in Charlotte, NC, and remains a respected ambassador for the game and a celebrated member of the NMTA community.
Advisory Committee
Jimmy Parker, 2018 - 2024, NMTA President 2018-2020
Jimmy’s tennis career began with distinction as a U.S. Junior Davis Cup team member, where he earned the James Bishop Award as the team’s Outstanding Member. At Rice University, he became an All‑American and a two‑time Southwest Conference champion in singles, doubles, and team competition. He later returned to Rice as head coach before spending more than 30 years as Director of Tennis at the Houston Racquet Club, earning recognition as a USPTA Master Professional.
His accomplishments have been honored with induction into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame, Missouri Valley Hall of Fame, Rice University Sports Hall of Fame, and St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame. One of the most decorated senior players in American tennis history, Jimmy has won 150 USTA National Championships—a men’s all‑time record—along with 27 ITF World Championships, and has held the No. 1 national ranking in every age division from 35 through 75. He has represented the United States on 28 ITF World Championship teams and has been named Coach of the Year as well as a 17‑time Player of the Year.
Jimmy’s leadership extends well beyond the court. He has served as President of USPTA Texas, chaired the USTA Texas Executive Committee, worked as a USTA National Tournament Referee and Junior Development Coach, and currently serves as USTA Circuit Chair. His contributions have been recognized with the Talbert/Trabert Sportsmanship Award, the Sessions Educational Merit Award, and the Texas Senior Service Award.
A dedicated community volunteer, Jimmy has supported programs such as Sunshine Kids, PBS fundraisers, and Shoestring Tennis, and currently serves on the Board of First Serve New Mexico. His diverse pursuits also include service as a U.S. Air Force pilot, work as a newspaper columnist, and instruction for Tennis Channel. And in one of tennis’s most memorable bits of trivia, Jimmy played the first Open tennis match ever held in the United States—falling to Ken Rosewall on Center Court at the inaugural U.S. Open in 1968, proudly calling himself “the first loser of the Open Era.
Jerry Thomas, 2018 - 2024
Jerry, who retired from the insurance industry in 2013 and now resides in Rockwall, Texas, played collegiate tennis at East Texas State University in Commerce. A highly accomplished senior competitor, he has won numerous Texas Section singles and doubles titles, earned 17 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Balls, and was a member of the Super Senior National 9.0 Championship team. He also captured gold and silver medals in mixed and men’s doubles at the Super Seniors World Individual Championships.
Jerry represented the United States five times in the Gordon Trophy, the long‑standing team competition between the U.S. and Canada. His contributions to senior tennis have been recognized with two of the section’s highest honors: the 2010 USTA Texas Section Senior Spirit Award, celebrating sportsmanship, enthusiasm, and leadership, and the 2011 Julius Zinn Seniors’ Service Award, recognizing exceptional dedication and service to senior tennis.
He continues to serve the game through extensive volunteer leadership, including work on the USTA Texas Discipline and Grievance Committee, eight years on the USTA Texas Adult and Senior Competition Committee—where he also served as chairman—two terms on the USTA Texas Executive Committee, and service on the USTA National Adult Competition Committee, where he is Vice‑Chair for Category II Events.
Tony Dawson, 2021 - 2025
Tony, born in Sydney, was a top‑10 Australian junior before playing for Oklahoma City University, a perennial NCAA Division I top‑10 program. He later competed on the ATP Tour, reaching the top 240 in singles and top 50 in doubles, playing Wimbledon and the Australian Open, winning multiple satellite doubles titles, and earning notable victories over several Davis Cup teams, Tom Gorman, and Nicola Pietrangelo.
He served as Director of Tennis at Houston’s Westside Tennis Club from 1977–1983, overseeing its expansion into the world’s largest 56‑court facility. Tony went on to found Carefree Hospitality, leading luxury resort and private‑club development and management projects across the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Hawaii for more than 35 years. He also served as USPTA Texas President in 1981.
Since returning to senior competition in 2006, Tony has won numerous USTA National Championships, earned the 2013 Texas Senior Player of the Year award, served on the USTA Texas Senior Council, held No. 1 national rankings in Men’s 60s singles and doubles, and represented the U.S. on four Von Cramm Cup teams, contributing to three world titles and one silver.
Larry Eichenbaum, 2021 - 2025
Larry played collegiate tennis for the University of Texas from 1966 to 1969 and has remained a USPTA Elite Professional since 1974. His professional recognition includes the USPTA Texas Division Pro of the Year award in 1977, Special Service Awards in 1976 and 1999, and Tester of the Year honors in 2008. He served as Director of Tennis at Westwood Country Club in Austin from 1974 to 1977 before spending more than 25 years as Director of Tennis and Head Tennis Professional at Walden on Lake Conroe in Montgomery, Texas. A USTA Certified Official since 1985, Larry officiated the National Women’s Intersectional Team Event for 25 years, the USTA National Mother & Daughter Doubles Hard Court Championships for a decade, the USTA National Men’s and Women’s 30 Hard Courts at Westwood Country Club from 2012 to 2018, and the Bermuda Breeze Tennis Championships, a USTA Super Category II/ITF Grade 1 event, from 2018 to 2020. He also served as Executive Director of the USTA Texas Tennis and Education Foundation from 2004 to 2006 and as Controller for the USTA Texas Section from 2005 to 2017