It helps build community.
A morning shower gave way to clear skies Sunday as the Seventh Annual Center Court Pro-Am brought nearly 40 men’s and women’s doubles teams together along the Jersey Shore, pairing professional players with community competitors for a day of tennis, competition and connection.
Matches took place throughout the Long Branch area, including at homes along the oceanfront community, as hundreds of players, families and spectators moved between courts.
Now in its seventh year, the event supports the Brooklyn-based Sephardic Community Center and has grown into a gathering that extends well beyond the competition itself.
L-R: Alana Smith, Coach Marvin Dent, Tauheed N. Browning
“Today is the seventh annual Sephardic Community Center’s Pro-Am tournament,” Joseph L. Jerome said. “There are hundreds of people coming in and out today. We have almost 40 teams, men’s and women’s—beautiful tennis, great pros, great community players, all for a great cause: the Sephardic Community Center.”
“I think you really have to see it to understand what goes into this unbelievable day,” Jerome said.
Among the notable visitors were Bob and Mike Bryan, the celebrated former professional doubles champions and among the most accomplished doubles players in tennis history. The Bryan Brothers attended the tournament for the first time, watching the competition advance toward the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. “Beautiful home, beautiful tournament,” they said. “Happy to be here for the first time. It looks intense; we’ve been watching some tennis, and everyone’s bringing it. Everyone really wants the title.”
For Melissa Shalom, Sunday marked her third year with Center Court. The morning rain briefly raised concerns, but conditions improved, and play continued.
“We were a little worried in the morning with the rain, but everything cleared up beautifully,” Shalom said. “It’s such a fun day to come out, see the Center Court they’ve built here, and be part of the community. It’s just such a great day to be here.”
One of the most meaningful connections came through the doubles competition. Touring professional Tauheed N. Browning was invited to play alongside David Ivor Braka, allowing the young player to compete with an accomplished member of the Sephardic community.
For Tauheed R. Browning, a certified coach and Tauheed N.’s father, the experience extended well beyond the match itself. “It was awesome for my son to be invited and paired with David, who’s a great, accomplished person I’ve come to learn from and who represents a great family within the Sephardic community,” Browning said. “It was an honor to meet him and for my son to play with him.”
The Pro-Am format itself presents a unique competitive challenge—one that longtime coach Marvin Dent captured with a touch of irony. “I find it uniquely ironic how few pros understand how to manage the nuances of playing a competitive pro/am,” Dent said.
L-R: Tauheed N. Browning and David Ivor Braka
His observation underscored one of the event’s defining characteristics: Pro-Am tennis requires more than simply bringing different levels of players together. It demands communication, adaptability and an understanding of how to make a partnership work when experience, playing styles and expectations may differ.
The experience also resonates naturally with Florida Tennis readers. JEMB Realty Corporation, founded in 1990 by Morris Bailey and Jerome, is a three-generation, family-run real-estate development, investment and management firm with a North American portfolio that includes the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach Hotel in Tampa Bay.
Braka also has a Florida connection: He serves as a vice president of Aetna Realty Company, which is registered to do business in Florida. It is another example of how the relationships surrounding tennis can extend across/ communities, professions and state lines.
The tournament brought Browning back into contact with longtime tennis connections, including Dent and Maryland native, NC State alumna and WTA touring professional Alana Smith. “It was great seeing Coach Marvin Dent and Alana, both of whom we’ve known for years as we’ve been on this tennis journey,” Browning said. “A pleasant surprise to see them.”
Browning also spent time with Jerome during the event. “Mr. Joe Jerome was welcoming, and it was great to spend some time chatting,” Browning said. “I’m beyond impressed with what he and his family have contributed to the Sephardic and tennis communities. Kudos.”
Those moments capture what makes a Pro-Am different from an ordinary day at the courts.
The competition puts players on the same court. The setting creates opportunities for conversations, introductions and reunions that might never happen otherwise.
For a young touring professional, a doubles invitation can introduce them to another part of the tennis community. For a parent, it can become a meaningful moment in a son’s competitive journey. For long-time players and coaches, a tournament can become a place to reconnect.
The Center Court Pro-Am has been creating those opportunities for nearly a decade.
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Sephardic Jews are descendants of Jewish communities that were originally located in Spain and Portugal.
Photos courtesy of Tauheed R. Browning
