Observer Challenge returns on Longboat Key after year away

After a year away, the Observer Challenge will make a racket at the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center again. The tournament was not played in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but is scheduled to return from Jan. 7-9 for its 21st edition. 

“It’s hard to say that last year was more of a regular year, but a lot better than the year before,” Tennis Center director Kay Thayer said. “We felt this year we would move forward with events we’ve always done, and this is such a popular one on the island because it involves all the clubs and all sorts of players, and people have been asking if we’re doing the Observer tournament.”

The tennis center has kept things low key in the past year and a half and missed a lot of their seasonal and visiting players in 2021. The first big event was the Longboat Key Senior Clay Courts Level 2 Tournament in late November, which drew players from around the country. More seasonal members have returned to Longboat Key, so the tennis center is ramping things up. 

“We were able to do our big senior December USTA tournament and when that was OK’d when the fall started we felt pretty good about being able to do some of the regular things we’ve done in the past,” Thayer said. “Barring issues in the future, we’re hoping this would be the year we could get back to normalcy. Last year there were a lot of things we didn’t do and a lot of people that didn’t come to Longboat.” 

The Longboat Observer, has hosted this tournament since 2001, when CEO Matt Walsh extended an olive branch to the tennis center after an editorial that argued against its creation. It’s become a huge event on the Key and draws players from every club. The reception the day before it starts is well-attended, too, and will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 6 this year. Players will find out their playing times then, too, though they won’t know who they’re playing until they show up on the court. 

The tournament usually features about 120 players who compete in four or five divisions, depending on how Thayer matches up the levels of players. The open division has bred stiff competition in the past few years, too. Teams are co-ed and play doubles, mixed doubles and singles. 

“We get a lot of people from The Longboat Key Club and from Cedars Tennis Resort and especially in the open division that’s become pretty popular, we can have some 5.0 players and we get a lot of people from the area, from Sarasota and Bradenton,” Thayer said. “It’s become one of those things where everybody calls and asks if we’re gonna do it. It’s a nice thing for the island because it involves the main places people play tennis. We have a good showing and people come cheer their teams on.”

Championship comeback 

The Longboat Key Public Tennis Center held its first big tournament since before the pandemic, and it was the biggest one yet. From Nov. 29-Dec. 5, the tennis center hosted the 18th edition Longboat Key Senior Clay Courts Level 2 Tournament with 386 players from around the U.S. and Canada. 

The tournament took place at nine sites around Longboat Key besides the tennis center, including Aquarius, the Longboat Key Club courts, Club Longboat, the Water Club, Seaplace, Vizcaya and Corey’s Landing. Winners were announced in singles and doubles categories from 55 to 85.

After taking a year off in 2020, the tournament, which is the tennis center’s biggest annual fundraiser, was the biggest ever. There was an increase of about 50 players from 2019’s draw.