For Jay and Marc Heflin, this year's UAMS Health Little Rock Open tennis tournament has an extra special meaning. It is the fourth year for the brothers to serve as co-chairmen of the event, a world-class men's tournament set for May 26 to June 2 that will raise money for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' bone marrow transplant program.
In 1985, at the age of 40, the brothers' father was diagnosed with myelogenous leukemia. At the time, Arkansas had no treatment program for it, which included a bone marrow transplant. So, their father went to Los Angeles for treatment, which turned out to be successful. Their father lived until 2006, becoming the longest living survivor from the Los Angeles program at that time, and his death was not related to the leukemia.
"He lived for almost 21 years after that transplant, and got to see Marc and me get married and see all three kids get born," Jay says, adding that he is so grateful that UAMS has the bone marrow treatment program now. (The UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute in Little Rock has the only bone marrow transplant program in the state.)
"The fact that it is here is a huge deal for Marc and me," Jay says. "Hopefully, we won't have to go through that type of treatment, but knowing that so many of our friends and neighbors and people around our community who may need that type of treatment don't have to go two-thirds of the way across the country to have it is a real blessing."
The brothers' connection to the tournament goes beyond the bone marrow transplant program. Both grew up in Little Rock playing tennis. Jay, 53, and Marc, 50, attended Mills High School in Little Rock where they played on the tennis team. From there, they both attended Ouachita Baptist University where they also played together on the tennis team. Today, they are still playing together as members of United States Tennis Association teams.
"We [Mills High School] won a state championship when Marc was a freshman and I was a junior, and it is something we like to brag about because that's about the highlight for us," Jay says with a chuckle. "We peaked at 17, 18."
A Challenger level tournament
This year will mark the 43rd year for the tournament, which has had various organizations host it over the years, including Baptist Health. It is the second longest running professional tennis tournament held in the same location -- Little Rock, Marc says. The longest title belongs to the U.S. Open in Queens, N.Y.
"It is one of the few Challenger series tournaments that is used as a fundraiser and not just for for-profit organizations," Marc says. "And we think that has a lot to do with the length of its run."
The brothers, who own and operate Legacy Termite and Pest Control in Little Rock, have long been involved in the tournament, taking on a greater role when Baptist Health became the organizing entity about 15 years ago. "Our family had been involved in Baptist Health for a long time, and so we got on the committee at that point and served on the committee in various roles, just helping out where we could," Jay says. The tournament was canceled during the covid-19 pandemic. It returned in 2021 when they became co-chairs of the tournament committee, serving two years with Baptist Health, and then last year and this year with UAMS as tournament host.
As an Association of Tennis Professionals Tour Challenger series tournament, the competition is truly world-class. Players ranked between 150 to 350 in the world participate. "These are the folks who are about to make it or who have made it, but are nursing an injury and need to get some points," Jay says, comparing it to the Triple-A minor league level in baseball. "Pros play for money, obviously, but they also play for points because the points are what get them into other events -- bigger and better events."
Several players who went on to become famous played in the tournament, Marc says, including Andre Agassi, an American former world No. 1 ranked player, an eight-time major champion and Olympic gold medalist. Recent players who played in the Little Rock Open and are now on the rise include Chris Eubanks, who played for the United States' Davis Cup team, and Ben Shelton, who is currently ranked 13th in the world.
This year, about 120 players from 20 countries are expected to compete, but an exact number will not be known until closer to the event, Jay says. That's because the Little Rock tournament takes place during the second week of the French Open, one of the Grand Slam professional tennis tournaments in the world.
"A lot of these guys will actually go over to Paris and they play the qualifying round for the French, and if they get in, then they will play the French," Jay says, adding that if they don't qualify or lose in the first round, they could still make it for the Little Rock tournament, which is one of the first tournaments of the hardcourt season.
Driving force
Leslie W. Taylor, vice chancellor for communications and marketing for UAMS, praised the Heflins for their work on the tournament.
"Jay and Marc Heflin are the driving force and the heart behind the UAMS Health Little Rock Open tennis tournament," Taylor says. "Co-chairing an event like this takes dedication and thousands of hours of work. Jay and Marc take time away from their work and personal lives each year to bring world-class tennis to Arkansas so that others can enjoy the sport that has played such an important role in their lives."
The Heflins are quick to praise others on the committee. And the tournament wouldn't be possible, they say, without Chip Stearns, the tournament director. "He's the glue," Jay says. "It wouldn't happen without Chip; we would be paddling in circles."
Sponsorship is vital as well, and because of that, the tournament admission is free. "We've got a sponsor who loves tennis and loves UAMS and that's a good kind of sponsor to have," Jay says.
The tournament will take place at the Rebsamen Tennis Center and will kick off with an opening ceremony on May 26 featuring remarks from Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. The competition will include singles and doubles matches. There will be food trucks and a store featuring T-shirts, caps and other items. For more details, visit: www.littlerockopen.com
"It's a great event that I think brings the tennis community in Little Rock together for great tennis and supporting an amazing cause, no matter what the cause is within the UAMS system," Jay says, adding that last year and this year, the recipient of the fundraising from the tournament is the bone marrow transplant program, but other areas could benefit in the future. In the past, funds from the tournament have gone to local neonatal intensive care units and nursing scholarships, among other areas.
Marc says he is grateful for the community's support.
"It's a gratifying feeling, watching all of our fellow tennis fans and players, people that we know and a lot of them we don't know, come out to watch this," he says. "[For] the night matches, the stands are full on one side and the other side, there are lounge chairs the length of the court. People are just enjoying a good time."
Jay and Marc Heflin are serving as co-chairmen of the UAMS Health Little Rock Open at Rebsamen Tennis Center. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Cary Jenkins))�
