As we celebrate Black History Month, I want to heap praise on a brother who has spent a lifetime working to bring tennis to underprivileged youths across America. And he is not done, even as he approaches 80 years of age. His name is Robert (Bob) Davis, one of the most committed persons to the … More Bob Davis devotes a life to giving back
One could reasonably argue that had Lenny Simpson not returned to his roots in Wilmington, NC, there still may not be a monument honoring Althea Gibson, who did as much as anyone past or present to break down the barriers preventing Blacks from competing in major professional tennis tournaments. Simpson, the first Black to play … More Lenny Simpson: A legend in his own right
I suspect I was not the only Black Coco Gauff fan whose eyes became watery while watching her hug her dad, Corey, just moments after she had made another entry into the record books of tennis history by winning the US Open women’s championship, her first major title. At 19, Coco became the third American … More Coco’s competitive spirit drives her success
For Black tennis fans, this year’s grass court season that culminated with the Championships at Wimbledon was one for the history books. In the more than five decades I have been following tennis, I have never seen two Black American men draw so much media attention before and during one of the most prestigious tournaments … More Eubanks, Tiafoe make history on grass
As I watched the inaugural United Cup tennis tournament at the start of the 2023 season, I spotted an African American woman whom I did not recognize on the United States team bench. Through a process of elimination, I figured she was Alycia Parks, a deduction later confirmed by match announcers. Parks apparently was an … More Parks Has Big Game and High Hopes for 2023
Who would have thought that an African American not named Frances Tiafoe would reach the men’s quarterfinals of the 2023 Australian Open? Or, for that matter, who would have thought there would be more than a couple African Americans, including Tiafoe, even playing in the main draw of the event? There were four! And, finally, … More Black American men make some noise at Australian Open
The 2022 US Open was the most exciting tennis event I have witnessed in my lifetime. I am certain legions of Black tennis fans would agree. Never in the more than five decades that I have followed tennis have I seen so much love and affection showered on so many black players as there was … More As Serena exits, Coco and Frances shine
If you had asked me before the start of this year’s US Open tennis tournament if I thought a teenager had a shot at winning the women’s title, I would have answered enthusiastically without hesitation in the affirmative. But neither Emma Raducanu, the 18-year-old Brit who won it, nor Leylah Fernandez, the 19-year-old Canadian who … More US Open draw raises eyebrows, questions
Two years ago, Washington D.C. area tennis fans were abuzz with anticipation of seeing teen sensation Cori “Coco” Gauff perform at the Citi Open, following her improbable fourth-round run at the Wimbledon Championships, which included a stunning upset of her idol Venus Williams. But when the curtains closed on opening day of the D.C. tennis … More Hailey Baptiste flying high under the radar
Every time I watch Cori “Coco” Gauff play a tennis match, there comes a point where I find myself marveling over the fact this rising talent is still just a teenager. It is an awesome moment of reflection because inherent in the realization that Gauff is just 17 is an exciting anticipation that the best … More Coco Gauff ready for the red clay in Paris
Promoting the growth of tennis in communities of color.
A daily selection of the best content published on WordPress, collected for you by humans who love to read.
The Art and Craft of Blogging
The latest news on WordPress.com and the WordPress community.
TennisintheHood 