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
When Katrina Adams was named president and CEO of the United States Tennis Association in 2015, becoming the first Black person to lead the 135-year-old organization, my mind flashed back to when we met about two years earlier. The occasion was a reception for tennis legend Billie Jean King at the National Press Club where … More Katrina Adams at the top of her game
In her run to a second Australian Open title – her fourth major championship overall – Naomi Osaka convinced me that she indeed has the intestinal fortitude to reign on the throne of women’s tennis. About a year ago, I had begun to have my doubts. After failing to defend her 2019 Australian Open title … More Osaka answers the question Down Under
When my wife walked into our bedroom and told me softly that David Dinkins had passed the night before, my head began to swirl with memories of the time I spent covering his historic 1989 mayoral campaign and first few months in office as a reporter for New York Newsday. There was that night at … More David Dinkins remembered as avid tennis player and steady patron of the sport
For a skinny former pharmaceutical sales rep who grew up on the south side of Chicago sharing hoops dreams with former NBA player Quentin Richardson, Kamau Murray has made quite a name for himself as a professional tennis coach. Most notably, Murray is the coach of Sloane Stephens, whom he guided to a U.S. Open … More Kamau Murray finding Success in XS Tennis
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