Sports
All-star spotlight: Capital Tennis
Local players find camaraderie, competition on local and international courts
Dana Mendenhall and Quang Nguyen say they’re each passionate about playing in Capital Tennis. (Photos courtesy the players)
The Capital Tennis Association offers league play throughout the year along with its Capital Classic Tournament being a stop on the Gay & Lesbian Tennis Alliance World Tour.
Members are also experimenting with different formats including a team format like World Team Tennis, where players from each of the five divisions would form a team to play against other similar teams.
In addition, Capital Tennis offers free tennis lessons for beginners in the spring and fall months and drill sessions for members in the summer months.
This week in the ongoing Washington Blade series spotlighting athletes in the LGBT sports community, we meet two LGBT players from Capital Tennis.
Dana Mendenhall says she was born with a tennis racket in her hand because her father was the head tennis pro at a club. Raised in Montclair, Va., she left the sport behind in her rebellious teen years.
She spotted Capital Tennis in its booth at Capital Pride in 2015 and after moving to Alexandria, she signed up for its winter league.
“I didn’t have a lot interaction with the LGBT community up until that point,” Mendenhall says. “Being surrounded by my peers made it easier and fun for me to get back into the sport.”
Mendenhall is working as a dental assistant and taking classes at Northern Virginia Community College. She will move on to University of Maryland to pursue a degree in biology.
She has fully integrated back into loving tennis and has played almost every day over the past year. Along with her membership with Capital Tennis she is also playing in the Mid-Atlantic section of the United States Tennis Association and will compete in upcoming regionals at Virginia Beach.
“I think I have improved a lot over the past year and my forehand has become a weapon,” Mendenhall says. “I definitely have room for more improvement and there are always little things you can do better.”
Last fall she competed in her first Gay & Lesbian Tennis Alliance tournament at the Capital Classic and found herself facing men in all her rounds.
“It’s all equal to me because of the divisions; gender doesn’t matter at all and I look forward to teaming up with male players for mixed doubles at future tournaments,” Mendenhall says. “I always try to keep a smile on my face during my matches and I am loving being a part of Capital Tennis.”
When Capital Tennis needed an upgrade to its website, organizers looked to player Quang Nguyen who runs software company ARPH Systems with one of his brothers. Nguyen created a software that handles registration, scheduling, profiles, rankings and score lines.
Born and raised in Virginia Beach, he didn’t play organized sports and was focused primarily on violin and piano. He was however, playing tennis recreationally with his brothers. After graduating from Virginia Tech, he moved back home with his parents before finally following his college friends to D.C. in 2010.
In 2011, Nguyen attended a speed dating event hosted by the D.C. Gay Flag Football League and met several players from Capital Tennis. He signed up and began playing all four tennis leagues along with going to the Gay & Lesbian Tennis Alliance tournaments.
He lost in the first or second round of every tournament until having a breakthrough in 2014 when he won three tournaments and two silver medals at the 2014 Gay Games in Cleveland. His tournament wins qualified him for a spot in the GLTA World Championships in Palm Springs.
“I had always been athletic, but it took me a while to figure out how to win,” Nguyen says. “My mental game improved and I began playing with a lot more confidence.”
Last year, Nguyen signed up for the first GLTA tournament in Tel Aviv only to see it struggle to get participants. He would step forward again to help his tennis community.
“Five of us from Capital Tennis were signed up and all of the travel arrangements were already paid for,” Nguyen says. “I ended up sponsoring 20 players to beef up the draw and ensure that the tournament would go on.”
Now that his play has gotten better, Nguyen is lining up future tournaments including the Gay Games in Paris and enjoying his time in the LGBT tennis community.
“This is all about being around people like myself. It’s my social life and I like meeting gay athletes,” Nguyen says. “I wasn’t very good when I started, but now I am at a point where it is a mix of competition and having fun.”
Sports
‘Heated Rivalry’ stars to participate in Olympic torch relay
Games to take place next month in Italy
“Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will participate in the Olympic torch relay ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics that will take place next month in Italy.
HBO Max, which distributes “Heated Rivalry” in the U.S., made the announcement on Thursday in a press release.
The games will take place in Milan and Cortina from Feb. 6-22. The HBO Max announcement did not specifically say when Williams and Storrie will participate in the torch relay.
The Washington Capitals will host Pride Night on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they host the Florida Panthers at Capital One Arena. A special ticket offer featuring a Pride-themed Capitals rainbow jersey is available at washcaps.com.
Fans are invited to a pre-game Block Party at District E beginning at 5 p.m. The event will feature a performance by the band NovaKane. Specialty happy hour food and beverages will be available, as well as giveaways. There will also be a presence by several local LGBTQ+ community organizations.
Egypt
Iran, Egypt object to playing in Seattle World Cup ‘Pride Match’
Game to take place on June 26
Iran and Egypt have objected to playing in a “Pride Match” that will take place in Seattle during the 2026 World Cup.
The Egyptian Football Association on Tuesday said it told FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström in a letter that “it categorically rejects holding any activities related to supporting (homosexuality) during the match between the Egyptian national team and Iran, scheduled to be held in Seattle, USA, on June 26, 2026, in the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.” Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran President Mehdi Taj told ISNA, a semi-official Iranian news agency that both his country and Egypt “protested this issue.”
The 2026 World Cup will take place in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The draw took place at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 5.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death.
The State Department’s 2023 human rights report notes that while Egyptian law “did not explicitly criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, authorities regularly arrested and prosecuted LGBTQI+ persons on charges including ‘debauchery,’ prostitution, and ‘violating family values.’” Egyptian authorities “also reportedly prosecuted LGBTQI+ individuals for ‘misuse of social media.’”
“This resulted in de facto criminalization of same-sex conduct and identity,” notes the report.
The 2024 human rights report the State Department released earlier this year did not include LGBTQ-specific references.
Soccer has ‘unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs’
The June 26 match between Iran and Egypt coincides with Seattle Pride. The Washington Post reported the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organizing Committee decided to hold the “Pride Match” before last week’s draw.
“As the Local Organizing Committee, SeattleFWC26’s role is to prepare our city to host the matches and manage the city experience outside of Seattle Stadium,” said SeattleFWC26 Vice President of Communications Hana Tadesse in a statement the committee sent to the Washington Blade on Wednesday. “SeattleFWC26 is moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament, partnering with LGBTQ+ leaders, artists, and business owners to elevate existing Pride celebrations across Washington.”
“Football has a unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs,” added Tadeese. “The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and rich communities representing all nations we’re hosting in Seattle. We’re committed to ensuring all residents and visitors experience the warmth, respect, and dignity that defines our region.”
The 2034 World Cup will take place in Saudi Arabia.
Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death in the country. The 2022 World Cup took place in neighboring Qatar, despite concerns over the country’s anti-LGBTQ rights record.
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