What we stand for
Our Mission
Tennis Atypical uses tennis as a catalyst for youth leadership and neuro-inclusion. We build a structured mentorship ecosystem where varsity athletes guide junior players into competitive sports, while creating dedicated spaces for neurodiverse youth to build confidence, connect, and thrive.
What Drives Us
Our Values
Beyond the Court
Using tennis to build character, resilience, and life skills.
Youth Leadership
Varsity athletes mentor and guide the next generation.
Neuro-Inclusion
Spaces where neurodiverse youth build confidence & connection.
Community Impact
Empowering and bridging gaps between athletes of all abilities.
Where It Began
Tennis Atypical was founded in October 2022 by Wendy Guo in Maryland. Driven by a passion for athletic equity, Wendy set out to use tennis as a powerful vehicle to expand sports access for underrepresented demographics and neurodivergent populations. What began as targeted coaching quickly evolved into a powerful community movement. Recognizing the profound impact of structured athletic guidance, Wendy architected a unique “Mentorship Ecosystem” in collaboration with CAPA-HC, empowering local varsity high school athletes to step up as coaches and run clinics for over 40 families.
As the program grew, Wendy integrated evidence-based, sensory-friendly tennis curricula specifically engineered to help children on the Autism spectrum build coordination and social-emotional skills. Following years of consistent community growth and widespread local impact, the organization officially established the Tennis Atypical Foundation in January 2026. Today, the foundation continues to expand its reach—standardizing coaching excellence through its specialized certification and ensuring every young athlete has a structured pathway to lead, connect, and thrive.
Where We Are Today
Our success lies in our commitment to tailoring tennis programming to the unique needs of neurodiverse youth while cultivating strong leadership skills in our varsity mentors.
To date, our growing impact has been fueled by strong community roots and invaluable strategic partnerships with five key associations: Special Olympics Maryland, Howard County Recreation & Parks, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation, Baltimore Tennis Patrons, and the Chinese Alumni Associations of Greater Washington (CAAGW).
Through these collaborative partnerships and our unique mentorship ecosystem, we have successfully managed sanctioned tournaments, scaled our community programs to serve over 400 active players, and generated the momentum needed for sustainable foundation growth. We remain deeply passionate about our mission and look forward to expanding our reach, welcoming more families, coaches, and young athletes onto our courts.