COTA

FEATURE FRIDAY: Meet Shune Kimura!

You met him yesterday in our COTA Captain spotlight... now come learn more about Shune's tennis journey!

Shune’s tennis journey began in 8th grade while living in Zambia, when a friend convinced him to pick up a racquet—and quickly brought out his competitive side!

After a few years away from tennis (and plenty of ultimate frisbee!), Shune found his way back to the sport during his veterinary residency. When he and his family moved to Athens for his PhD, he picked up a racquet again and connected with the COTA community.

Today, Shune is an equine veterinary internist and PhD researcher studying the connection between metabolism and immunity in sepsis, with the goal of helping improve treatment. 🐴🔬

Today, he’s a big fan of the one-handed backhand—especially a topspin lob, drop shot or down-the-line winner! And whether it’s singles or doubles, Shune loves the strategy, competition and camaraderie that make tennis so much fun.

Off the court, he enjoys time with his wife and three kids, reading, board games, tennis and e-sports. His daughter is already getting into tennis, too! 🎾

We’re so glad Shune found his way back to the game—and to COTA. Thanks for being part of our tennis community, Shune! 💙

Summer champ, fall challenge! 🎾

Congratulations to Abhishek Koneru, winner of the Men’s 3.0 Singles Division in the Summer Compass Draw Tennis Tournament! 🏆👏 He’s pictured here with runner-up Tony Garmon.

3.0 & 4.5 Men: Are you ready to put your game to the test this fall? Registration is now open for the Fall Compass Draw!

🎾 Sign up today: https://buff.ly/x02gj9S

🎾 Celebrate the history of Georgia women’s tennis!

With nine national championships and 23 SEC titles, the University of Georgia women’s tennis program has built an incredible legacy on the court.

Now, you can explore that history through Game. Set. Match: The History of UGA Women’s Tennis, an exhibit featuring original artifacts and rarely seen photographs documenting the evolution of Georgia women’s tennis.

📍 Hargrett Library’s Rotunda Gallery
📅 September 4, 2026 – April 2027

https://buff.ly/5qm7LCu

🎾 Calling all 3.0 & 4.5 men! Your fall tennis plans just got more interesting. 👀

COTA is serving up something new: the Athens Compass Draw! 🧭🎾

Get the excitement of tournament play with a flexible format that fits your busy schedule. Matches get more competitive as you move through the draw—and a loss doesn’t send you packing! Everyone can expect an average of six matches, so there’s plenty of tennis to enjoy.

🍂 Fall 2026
📅 Play begins Nov. 4
💰 $45 singles | $40/player doubles
🔥 Register Sept. 27–Oct. 10 and get $5 off!

We’re starting with 3.0 and 4.5 men this fall while construction at OVP limits court space. More levels are coming in 2027! 🙌

Register today: https://buff.ly/ABGnWID

Athens Tennis Tournaments | Compass Draw | Clarke-Oconee Tennis Association www.compassdraw.com/tennis/cota Compete in flexible Athens tennis tournaments with Athens Compass Draw, presented by the Clarke-Oconee Tennis Association. Play one local match every two weeks.

🚨 LAST CHANCE to register!
55+ Fall League sign-ups close tomorrow, Sept. 26, and we don’t want you to miss the fun this fall! 🍂🎾

If you’ve been thinking about joining, now’s the time to get your team together and lock in your spot.

👉 Register in TennisLink before the deadline, get all your questions answered on our website: https://buff.ly/76ZPT1i

Pictured: Jody Twombly's team at state!

Tennis Tuesday: Mixed Doubles State Edition!

We’re celebrating some familiar faces who took their tennis journey from COTA courts to the 18+ Mixed Doubles State Championships recently! 💙🎾

From Cory DeLamater’s team, Sammy Hodges and Amelia Cross both grew up playing COTA tennis!

For Sammy, it was his first State as an adult player—a full-circle moment after competing on COTA’s 2014 12U State Championship team. 🙌 As Cory shared, “It was so fun having Sammy and Amelia on the team and playing together."

We love seeing COTA players continue to grow, compete and share the court together through the years. ❤️🎾