As Victoria Mboko knocked off one former major champion after another on her way to her first Women’s Tennis Association Tour level title, several tennis buds inquired who was this giant slayer from Canada. I then realized I may have been remiss in not preparing my followers for the emergence of this 18-year-old phenom whom … More Victoria, Ben — Amen!
Now that the post-match mini drama surrounding Coco Gauff’s marvelous French Open victory over Aryna Sabalenka has subsided, and players are adjusting to a different tennis court surface, I want to shift the spotlight to a cast of African American players whose performance at Roland Garros deserves a resounding ovation. From the perspective of a … More Cheers to Coco and the Gang for grand performance at Roland-Garros
I wanted to publish a post on the magnificent streak Madison Keys just completed in Australia, going undefeated while winning two titles, including the Australian Open, her first major championship in a stellar tennis career that began 16 years ago. But in the midst of Madison’s remarkable run at age 29, the Black tennis community … More Black tennis community loses a titan
Ever since Coco Gauff reached the fourth round of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships as a precocious 15-year-old, knocking out five-time champion and idol Venus Williams along the way, she has performed under an aura of great expectations. There was little doubt among the tennis cognoscente that this supremely athletic teenager would win a major. The … More Coco Gauff fulfilling expectations
When Taylor Townsend announced at the beginning of this year’s tennis season that she would play fewer doubles tournaments to devote more effort to climbing the singles rankings, I was a bit bewildered. Why would she do that, I wondered, after coming off a year that saw her reach a career-high doubles ranking of No. … More Taylor Townsend having career-best season
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
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