Madisen’s Match sees tennis stars on the court for charity

Pro-tennis players are taking to the court on Sunday in Fort Myers to help raise money for charity.

Tennis stars like the 17th ranked player in the world, Reilly Opelka, top doubles players, the Bryan brothers, and Tommy Paul, who is ranked 39th in the world, will compete in the Sunday night event.

It is all in support of the annual Madisen’s Match Tournament, raising money for pediatric and adult cancer charities. The funds raised by the tournament go to the Lee Health Foundation, Barbara’s Friend’s Foundation, and the Golisano Children’s Hospital.

Madisen’s Match was inspired in 2008 by a 3-year-old named Madisen Abramson, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.

The goal this year is to fund the new neurosurgery program for Golisano.

On Sunday, there will also be a tennis camp hosted by a few pro tennis players at the Fiddlesticks Country Club.

The main event match on Sunday night is at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the FSW campus.

“We have purchased multiple pieces of equipment that the hospital needs. So we’ve purchased chemotherapy chairs distraction stations that help you know when kids are getting treatment, a distraction station has a lot of different sensory elements to it, so it helps calm kids, you know, while they’re about to get like a shot or you know, kind of something that we normally traumatic,” said Madisen’s Match Founder Duane Chaney. Madisen, the little girl who inspired the event, is Chaney’s niece.

Madisen is now 17 years old, graduated from high school, working, and going on to college.

“She’s been able to live a, you know, a relatively normal life. But any sort of growth in that tumor can have a drastic impact on her life, because there’s so many vital, vital functions that are controlled by that point of the brainstem. And there’s, because it’s in the brainstem, there’s no way to operate on it. So it’s, you’re kind of on a, you know, you’re just hoping for the best,” said Chaney.

Chaney encourages the community to come out to watch some tennis. The match starts at 7 p.m. at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Ticket prices start at $35.

If you would like to learn more about the match or buy tickets to Sunday’s event, you can click here.