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TABLE TENNIS Come and join us on Thursday at 10 am for table tennis exercises and fellowship while you wait to play. We are hoping to get a third table soon! 38 | LIFE IN SOLERA | MAY 2026 | e Open Era (1968), A Critical Moment in Tennis' History The Open Era in tennis, which began in 1968, allowed all players, amateur or professional, to compete at the four Grand Slam events, hence the events were Open to all players. Before 1968, these tournaments only amateurs were allowed to compete and could not earn prize money. Professional players competed in entirely different tournaments but were making a living doing it. Following the rule change three of the four majors changed their names to include the word "Open." 1968: French Championships became French Open aka Roland Garros 1968: US National Championships became US Open 1969: Australian Championships became Australian Open Wimbledon, more formally known as, The Championships, Wimbledon, opted not to change its name, despite becoming open to pros. It was not a requirement to change tournament names along with the rules. One outcome of this Open Era in Tennis, women tennis players are the highest paid female athletes in sports. In 2024, 11 of the top 15 highest paid female athletes were tennis athletes. As The Virginia Slims World Championship Series motto used the say: "You've come a long way baby." Join us for group tennis on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8 am. ~ Beverly Crowe TENNIS TITANS Pickleball is a very easy game to learn as it does not require very demanding skills. It is an attractive sport for all ages, but especially for older people: 33 percent of players are over 65 years old. In 2024, an estimated 50 million people, about 19 percent of the adult population, played at least once. The annual growth rate of 85.7 percent and over 40,000 dedicated courts, you can understand why this sport is growing so fast. In many states, requests to build pickleball courts outnumber those for tennis or basketball. It's no surprise that Pickleball is the official state sport in Washington, where the game was invented. You wouldn't know it by looking at these youngsters of Solera, but some of them are a part of the 33 percent playing Pickleball. Please feel free to come to the courts and give it a try. We always have extra paddles on hand for you to use and great instructors. Organized play is on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 7:30 am to 12 pm. Hours may vary depending on the time of year. For more information, please contact Gaby DeWitt at (909) 446-2704 or Cindy Bice at (949) 466-3003. Paddles up! Remember … no ball is worth the fall! PICKLEBALL PADDLERS Starting in May, weather permitting, we will play Bocce at 6 pm. We don't have strict rules and just have fun playing. Please call Dorothy Hoffecker at (951) 217-5357. No experience needed. SUNDAY EVENING BOCCE