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
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
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
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
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
I want to give a high five and a fist bump to former WTA player Leslie Allen for her rebuke of a recent statement released by the United States Tennis Association during the surge of protests ignited by the brutal killing of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis cop. The death of Floyd … More USTA omits its past in statement on race
When I heard that Cecil Harris had another book on black tennis coming out, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Once I did, I was not disappointed. The 243-page book, Different Strokes: Serena, Venus, and the Unfinished Black Tennis Revolution, was everything I had hoped for and pleasantly more. Harris puts … More New book puts fresh spin on black tennis
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
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
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