The Annual Grand Slam

Our fundraising event was on Sunday, April 21, 2024 and featured a world-class lineup of tennis superstars, special guests, and a gala with an alfresco dinner.

The Annual Grand Slam

Our fundraising event was on Sunday, April 21, 2024 and featured a world-class lineup of tennis superstars, special guests, and a gala with an alfresco dinner.

Gootter-Jensen Grand Slam

April 21, 2024 | Tucson, Arizona

Our annual fundraising event featured a world-class lineup of tennis superstars, special guests, and a gala with an alfresco dinner at the Westin La Paloma.

The event was held on April 21st at the Westin La Paloma featuring a thrilling exhibition with Murphy Jensen, Coco Vandeweghe, Sam Querrey, and Abi Spears, Dinner on the tennis courts, under the stars, followed.

The 2024 Gootter-Jensen Foundation Philanthropic Award was presented to Anita and Brad Feder.

Working to Defeat Sudden Cardiac Death

The Grand Slam event supports the many lifesaving accomplishments of the Gootter-Jensen Foundation. Over the past 18 years, the Foundation has raised millions of dollars for ongoing sudden cardiac death research and has distributed over 450 AEDs to schools, sports facilities, public places, nonprofits, and in law enforcement vehicles throughout Southern Arizona.

Each year, we celebrate the life that was lost and the life that was saved, by honoring Steven M. Gootter and Murphy Jensen with great food, live music, and live and silent auctions.

View Past Champions
Image Source: Matt Fitzgerald/Tennis Channel
Image Source: Matt Fitzgerald/Tennis Channel

The Steven M. Gootter Philanthropic Award

Each year, the Foundation presents an individual or couple who has demonstrated exemplary philanthropy with the Steven M. Gootter Philanthropic Award.

Anita and Bradley Feder
2024 Honorees

Bradley and Anita Feder are native Tucson philanthropists with a vested interest in the mission of the Gootter-Jensen Foundation in honor of their good friend Steve Gootter.

Though their most rewarding achievement remains the creation and launch of their children Brennen (25) and Alexis (23), Anita and Bradley have always balanced family life with entrepreneurial ventures and community investment.  

Bradley has stayed busy with several successful local businesses including RightFAX, Nextrio, Simply Bits and Desert Lab Studio.  Meanwhile Anita ran everything else, serving in critical C-Suite roles including Wife, Mom and Chief Volunteer.  

Organizations like El Rio, Casa de los Niños, Ronald McDonald House, American Heart Association and American Cancer Society have benefited from their creativity, connections and countless hours of work.  Particularly near and dear to their hearts are Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, the Ginny Clements Breast Cancer Research Center and the Father’s Day Council of Tucson, supporting the Steele Children’s Research Center and their efforts to find a cure for children diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

Wherever there are good people, doing great work – Bradley and Anita are often in the midst, with their sleeves rolled up, making a difference.

Meet the Champions

The Gootter-Jensen Foundation is grateful to the tennis champions who have participated in the Grand Slam Pro-Exhibition over the past 18+ years.

CoCo Vandeweghe
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CoCo Vandeweghe is an American former professional tennis player.

A former junior US Open champion and top 10 singles player, she won two WTA Tour singles titles, both at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships. In 2017, she reached two major semifinals and the final of the WTA Elite Trophy to enter the top 10, reaching her career-high singles ranking of world No. 9 in January 2018.

In addition, Vandeweghe twice reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in both 2015 and 2017. Vandeweghe also won one major doubles title, which she won at the 2018 US Open with partner Ashleigh Barty. Later on, they reached the semifinals at the 2018 WTA Finals, lifting Vandeweghe to a new career-high ranking of No. 14.

She is also a two-time Grand Slam finalist in mixed doubles, reaching the final at the 2016 Australian Open with Horia Tecău and the 2016 US Open with compatriot Rajeev Ram. Vandeweghe's prowess at both singles and doubles helped her win all eight of her Fed Cup (Billie Jean King Cup) matches in 2017 across three different ties to lead the U.S. team to its first championship since 2000.

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Abigail Spears
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Abigail (Abi) Spears is a retired tennis professional on the WTA tour, specializing in doubles. After leaving the UCLA tennis team after her freshman year, she turned pro and had a 20-year career. She won the Australian Open Grand Slam Mixed Doubles Championship in 2017 with partner Juan Sebastian Cabal, and was runner-up twice in the U.S. Open Mixed Doubles Championships. Abi won 21 WTA tour doubles titles throughout her career. Her highest world doubles ranking was #10 in 2015, and her top doubles team ranking was world #5 with partner Raquel Atawo (nee Kops-Jones) in 2014. Currently living in Colorado Springs, she heads up Abi Spears Tennis, a tennis coaching enterprise.

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Sam Querrey
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Sam reached a world ranking of #11 in singles in 2018. He won 10 ATP tour singles titles in addition to five ATP tour doubles titles. He defeated #1 Novak Djokovic in the 2016 Wimbledon championships, halting his run of four consecutive grand slam championships. The next year he beat the then #1 Andy Murray at Wimbledon.  In addition, he defeated Rafael Nadal for the Acapulco championship in 2017, and became the highest ranked American male tennis player that year. 

Known for his thunderous serve, Sam holds the record for 10 consecutive aces in a match. 

He is currently a professional pickleball player on the PPA tour and a member of the Major League Pickleball team the D.C. Pickleball team.

Sam is married and has two sons. 

 

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Bryan Brothers
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Twin brothers Robert Charles Bryan (Bob) and Michael Carl Bryan (Mike) are American professional tennis doubles players who are the best tennis team in history. The twins have won multiple Olympic medals, including the Gold in 2012 and have won more games, matches, tournaments and grand slams than anyone in history.

They have been the World No. 1 doubles players longer than anyone else in doubles history. They have also finished the ATP year-end number 1 doubles team a record 8 times.

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Gigi Fernandez
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Gigi captured 68 career titles in women’s doubles and attained the No. 1 ranking several times in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1995. She earned Olympic gold medals at both the 1992 and 1996 games.

She won at least one Grand Slam title every year from 1988 – 1997, except 1989, and for three straight years won three of the four Grand Slam doubles titles in the same year (1992-1994).

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Jensen Brothers
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After winning the 1993 French Open with his brother Luke, the Jensen brothers became the most popular doubles team in the history of the game. Murphy Jensen has been the host of two Tennis Channel favorites, “Open Access” and “Murphy’s Guide.”

Murphy dedicates much time and effort participating in charity tennis tournaments and special events around the country. Luke was the head women’s tennis coach at Syracuse University and is currently CoCo Vandeweghe’s coach and a tennis commentator for ESPN.

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Jim Grabb
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Jim Grabb is a former American professional tennis player. He was ranked the World No. 1 doubles player in 1989 and in 1993. Grabb’s best singles ranking was World No. 24, a ranking he achieved in February 1990.

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Jimmy Arias
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Jimmy Arias – Jimmy Arias, formerly ranked number 5 in the world in 1984, is also a bronze medal winner. Jimmy won the French Open Mixed Doubles championship with Andrea Jaeger in 1982. Today he serves as a commentator for ESPN International and the Tennis Channel.

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Mats Wilander
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Swedish tennis star Mats Wilander, a former number 1 ranked player from Sweden, has played in the Gootter Grand Slam for numerous years. From 1982 through 1988, Mats won seven Grand Slam singles titles (three at the French Open, three at the Australian Open and one at the U.S. Open) and one Grand Slam men’s doubles title (at Wimbledon). He completed 1988 ranked number 1 in the world. Mats was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002 and played on Sweden’s Davis Cup Championship Team in 1984, 1985 and 1987.

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Mikael Pernfors
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Best remembered for reaching the men’s single final at the French Open in 1986 where he gained his highest ranking of #10 in the world. Mikael also has 3 career singles title and one doubles title to his name.

Before turning professional, Pernfors played for the University of Georgia where he won back to back NCAA singles titles in 1984 and 1985. Mikael also played on Sweden’s Davis Cup Team.

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Tracy Austin
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Tracy Austin won the women’s singles championships at the U.S. Open in 1979 and 1981. In 1980 Tracy teamed with her brother, John, to win the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon. The Austins were the first brother-sister team to win the mixed doubles at Wimbledon.

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Aaron Krickstein
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Aaron Krickstein, formerly ranked number 6 in the world, holds two records that still stand: the youngest player to win an ATP Tour event at age 16, and the youngest in the world top 10 at age 17. He earned the nickname Marathon Man for his five set record of 28 wins (winning 11 times from 2 sets down), and 9 losses. He played Davis Cup for 6 years and currently participates on the Men’s Senior Tour (Champions Series Tennis). Aaron is the Director of Tennis at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida.

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