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 recently had the privilege of moderating an online panel discussion on the history of black tennis and the American Tennis Association, the nation’s oldest black sports organization. The 90-minute Zoom webinar attracted an engaging audience, with participants sending in comments and/or questions for the distinguished guests. I got goose bumps being in the company … More ATA seeking to revitalize
Ever since he posted a comment on my blog page under the moniker “Mr. Tennis,” I have wanted to interview Wilbert (Bill) Davis, winner of 11 American Tennis Association national championships. But it wasn’t so much his tennis accomplishments that caught my interest, as it were the principles he began to adopt that day in … More ATA legend finds code to live by in tennis
After watching silver-haired Rubye Stevens chase down a lob and send it back to her opponents’ baseline, then scamper to mid-court for an overhead put-away on the next ball, I could not help but wonder how old she was. When I asked during a break in action, she feigned being offended before telling me she … More Tennis keeps these seniors on their toes
At the end of last year’s US Open, I posted a piece on a 13-year-old black tennis phenom named Cori Gauff, who had blown through the girl’s junior tournament to reach the finals. I had not heard of Cori until reports tracking her progress began popping up in my email basket. The sender was Black Tennis … More Black Tennis Magazine is back — and busy
I was trolling for blog material midway through the recently completed American Tennis Association (ATA) national championships when I spotted Will and Pharoah casually hitting balls and chatting. It wasn’t long before I sensed they were reminiscing about old times. “You always had the cuter girl,” I heard Pharoah say at one point. When they … More Tennis buds reunite at ATA tournament
I recently renewed my membership in the American Tennis Association (ATA), the nation’s oldest black sports organization, but I must confess my enthusiasm was nowhere near as high as it was when I first joined in April of 2016. Since then, I have experienced one disappointment after another, including never having received a membership card. … More ATA in need of transfusion as it celebrates 100 years of existence
Tauheed Browning was adrift in the second set of his semi-final match and had lost his service-break advantage when suddenly he made an eye-popping play that punctuated his No.1 ranking in this USTA 14 and under national tournament. His opponent sent a high top-spin drive deep to Tauheed’s backhand side. The top-seeded kid from Philadelphia … More Philly teen has big time potential
I was watching the recent Miami Open doubles final when it dawned on me that Nicholas Monroe, who was playing alongside Jack Sock, an American ranked No. 16 in the world, may be the only African-American doubles specialist on the ATP World Tour. So I did some research. As far as I could discern, Monroe … More Nicholas Monroe: Doubling up on a professional tennis career
Obviously, the highlight of the 2017 Australian Open was the women’s championship match between Serena and Venus Williams. It was a match for the ages in more ways than one. For black tennis fans, the final was a thrilling prelude to Black History month, with Serena again rewriting the books by becoming the all-time Grand … More Thoughts on the Australian Open
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