2026 Girls Tennis Championships Preview

Previewing the 2026 MSHSAA Girls Tennis Championships | Dates, Format & Cooper Tennis Complex

Dr. Jennifer Rukstad and Associate Executive Director James Melton preview the 2026 MSHSAA Girls Tennis Championships, outlining the sport’s unique setup with separate individual (singles and doubles) and team state tournaments. They share that championships will be held at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield with extensive outdoor courts and limited indoor use to keep play on schedule. The individual tournament runs October 22–24 in Class 2, then Class 3, then Class 1, followed by the team tournament October 29–30 in the same class order, bringing four teams to the final site after district and sectional rounds. They explain qualification (16-player/teams brackets from district winners and runners-up), double-elimination structure, participation numbers (about 171 schools), and encourage spectators to prepare for changing fall weather, noting softball will be nearby at Killian during team tennis.

Meet Brett Helbig: New MSHSAA Tennis Head Official & Fall State Tournament Preview

The host introduces Brett Helbig as the new MSHSAA tennis head official for the fall state tournaments and discusses his background and goals in the role. Brett shares that he is a full-time teaching pro at Vetta Sports in St. Louis, runs USTA junior tournaments, and became interested in officiating to deepen his rules knowledge before discovering he enjoyed working matches on court. They talk about the head official’s responsibilities in supporting roving officials and helping manage tournament operations, emphasizing clear communication with coaches, players, and spectators. Brett explains what makes high school tennis unique—players make their own calls even at state with officials there to support—and highlights sportsmanship and character. The conversation also covers opportunities to strengthen the state tournament experience, develop future officials, and ends with Brett naming the US Open as his top tournament to attend.