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
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
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
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
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
It has been a pleasure watching Chanda Rubin grow as an analyst on Tennis Channel. She adds a wonderful blend of insight and perspective to the network’s match commentary. Yet, as I tried to connect Rubin’s keen knowledge of the rigors and nuances of professional tennis with her own career, I realized I had forgotten … More BTHF deserves award of its own
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 describing my blog recently to a real estate client and mentioned I was working on a post about Althea Gibson. “Who’s that?” she asked, then quickly apologized for not knowing. I was momentarily stunned. Here we were in the middle of Black History Month, and this intelligent black mother of three, a graduate … More Althea Gibson: A Phenomenal Woman
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