Barnes Tennis Center · San Diego · August 2026

Prepare your skin for the win

Before the first serve, sun safety took center court at the USTA Billie Jean King Girls' Nationals in San Diego.

800+sport sunscreen samples

~400national-level junior players

1QR card with practical sun-safety tips

Current project

During opening weekend of the 2026 USTA Billie Jean King Girls' 16s and 18s National Championships, Advantage:SKIN made sun protection part of tournament preparation.

Cofounders Liam and Mia Thiele delivered and distributed more than 800 sport sunscreen samples and QR-coded sun-protection tips to nearly 400 of the country's leading junior players at Barnes Tennis Center.

Thank you to Tournament Director Lornie Kuhle for welcoming this outreach and giving Advantage:SKIN the opportunity to meet players, parents, and coaches where sun protection matters most: at the courts.

Advantage:SKIN is an independent nonprofit created by junior tennis players. It receives no corporate funding or paid sponsorships. Sunscreen samples were donated free of charge by La Roche-Posay, and all educational content remained independent. Medical content is reviewed by a physician certified by the American Board of Dermatology in Dermatology and Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery.

Visit the official tournament site →

Save the courtside game plan

Three habits. Every match.

A simple routine players can use between points, practices, and tournament days.

01Apply

Use sunscreen 30 minutes before play.

02Reapply

Reapply every one to two hours.

03Cover

Wear a hat or visor whenever possible.

Maria Goldberg and Liam Thiele at the Advantage Skin outreach table at Barnes Tennis Center

A personal reason to protect

Meet Maria Goldberg

Senior Director of Competition, USTA Southern California

Maria supported the Advantage:SKIN outreach while serving at the tournament desk. She is also a two-time melanoma survivor and gave us permission to share her experience.

Maria's encouragement brings a powerful personal perspective to the mission. Sun protection is not simply a tournament-day message. It is a habit young athletes can carry through every practice, match, and season.

Thank you, Maria, for supporting this player-led effort and helping us bring prevention education to the next generation of competitors.

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