JACKSONVILLE, FLA.  – USTA Florida awarded its first-ever HBCU Tennis Program Grant to Edward Waters University (EWU), marking a significant milestone in both the university’s and USTA Florida’s history.  

Held at the Edward Waters University Tennis Complex on October 7, 2024, this event signified the official launch of USTA Florida’s HBCU Tennis Program Grant, which aims to provide critical funding to HBCU institutions in Florida. 

The grant, worth $100,000, will help EWU, the first Historically Black College in the state, further develop its tennis program, which played in its inaugural tennis season at the beginning of 2024. 

Laura Bowen, Executive Director of USTA Florida, highlighted the significance of the grant and USTA Florida’s commitment to HBCUs and the Black tennis community. “This grant is more than just money,” she said. “Today marks an important shift in USTA Florida’s history of service to our state and to the beautiful sport of tennis.” 

This grant is designed for immediate impact. EWU can apply the funds toward various needs, including court improvements, tennis equipment, scholarships for Florida students, and additional coach education. Bowen emphasized that this flexibility was shaped by conversations with Dr. Ivana Rich, Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics at EWU, and other HBCU leaders in Florida. 

Dr. Rich shared her vision for the growth of the university’s tennis program and the opportunities it will create for student-athletes. “We are deeply grateful to USTA Florida for awarding Edward Waters University this HBCU College Tennis Program Grant,” she said. “It represents a significant step forward for our newly established women’s tennis program and reinforces our commitment to providing quality athletic opportunities for our student-athletes. This support will enable us to enhance our tennis offerings, provide an exceptional experience for our student-athletes and engage more of our community in the sport of tennis.” 

The team is looking forward to putting the grant to use and Head Coach Marc Atkinson is excited to see the impact of the grant. “This HBCU Tennis grant will have a transformative effect on our tennis program and the student-athletes it serves,” he said. “With this grant, we will be able to purchase new equipment and training tools for our players, offer additional scholarships to attract talented student-athletes, and enhance our travel budget to compete in more tournaments.” 

Many of the players expressed their thanks to USTA Florida and are ready to get to work as the 2025 season approaches. “These improvements will not only benefit our current tennis players but will also help us attract and develop future talent, elevating the entire program to new heights,” Coach Atkinson added. 

Bowen closed out the event restating USTA Florida’s commitment to growing HBCUs and supporting EWU in any way possible. “This grant comes with a promise that we will continue to be your partner in growing this program for as long as it is in existence. We will stay connected with you, and together, we will develop more ways to support Edward Waters tennis.” 

The post USTA Florida announces HBCU Tennis Program Grant appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

“We are incredibly grateful to Coco Gauff for her generous $100,000 gift to UNCF, which will significantly impact the lives of HBCU students aspiring to excel in competitive tennis,” said Maurice E. Jenkins, Jr., executive vice president and chief development officer, UNCF. “Her commitment not only showcases her dedication to education and athletics but also inspires the next generation of student-athletes to pursue their dreams. This gift reinforces the importance of supporting our young leaders and ensuring they have the resources necessary to succeed both on and off the court.”

The Coco Gauff Scholarship Program will be administered by UNCF and scholarships will be awarded to eligible students who play competitive tennis starting in May. Details will be forthcoming on UNCF.org/scholarships.

As one of UNCF’s youngest major gift donors, Gauff, who is 20, says she supports HBCUs because she recognizes their value and the role they play in the community. Several members of Gauff’s family have attended or currently attend HBCUs.

“My family has a deep-rooted history with HBCUs, going all the way back to my great, great grandfather. From aunts and uncles to cousins, HBCUs have played a huge role in shaping who we are. Supporting UNCF in creating opportunities for student-athletes in tennis means a lot to me. As a young Black athlete, I understand how impactful it is to see people who look like me thriving in both sports and education. I want to help the next generation of student-athletes continue pursuing their passion for tennis while reaching their academic goals. My hope is that this scholarship gives more young Black players the confidence to chase their dreams, knowing they have a strong community behind them and a bright future ahead.” 

In recognition of Gauff’s 2023 U.S. Open victory, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) committed $3 million to refurbishing tennis courts across the country. North Carolina Central University was granted $21,000 as a part of this initiative. 

Coco Gauff has won nine Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) – tour level singles titles including the 2023 US Open and the 2024 WTA Finals. She has also won nine doubles titles including the 2024 French Open.

The post Coco Gauff pledges six-figures to HBCU tennis students appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

DURHAM, N.C. — The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced that it has awarded a $21,000 grant to Durham, NC HBCU North Carolina Central University (NCCU), while USTA Southern added $12,000 and USTA North Carolina contributed $5,000. The national USTA grant is part of the US Open Legacy Initiative, created in celebration of Coco Gauff’s 2023 US Open women’s singles title. As part of the initiative, the USTA has pledged $3 million to refurbish tennis courts across the country.
 
The grant funds, which total $38,000, will help defray the cost of resurfacing the four on-campus tennis courts at the HBCU. In addition to being used by the NCCU varsity tennis teams, NCCU’s tennis program, as part of the USTA’s Community Hub initiative, has partnered with a number of local organizations to make the courts available to the public.
 
 
“We were extremely honored to be the first college to receive a Community Hub grant and we are especially delighted to be awarded a grant linked to Coco’s (Coco Gauff) success and the US Open Legacy Initiative,” said D. Curtis Lawson, NCCU’s head men’s tennis coach and director of tennis. “As I often say, we may not have 6, 8, or 12 courts yet, but I believe that we have the best four courts on the East Coast! I don’t say this fully in jest as our courts have hosted nationally ranked Division I opponents for regular season dual matches, USTA Adult League practices and matches, NJTL events, camps, and clinics and we were the first HBCU to be featured for a College Match Day dual match (NCCU hosted Howard University in 2014). We fully support the USTA’s mission, and we look forward to an active, longstanding partnership.”

 
“Investing in the improvement of tennis facilities, particularly public tennis facilities, is a critical piece of the USTA’s mission: Growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere,” said Lew Sherr, CEO, USTA. “The new US Open Legacy Initiative will ensure that Coco Gauff’s 2023 US Open victory will have a meaningful and lasting impact in communities across the country. I can think of no more fitting way to celebrate an American US Open champion than by completing the circle for the good of the game.”
 
“Investing in public parks and our youth is very important,” said Gauff. “I strongly believe that tennis can continue to become a more accessible sport, and I would like to thank the USTA for continuing to commit to do so.”
 
The US Open Legacy Initiative is part of the USTA’s overall efforts to support tennis infrastructure through facility enhancements and construction, which is led by the USTA’s Tennis Venue Services (TVS) department. Since 2005, the USTA has awarded more than $17 million in TVS grants, impacting more than 43,000 tennis courts and more than $610 million for infrastructure development.
 
In order to ensure that communities have access to safe, appealing, and functional tennis environments, grant recipients also receive start-to-finish project management assistance from the USTA’s Tennis Venue Services team. It provides industry-leading experience in tennis court and facility design, as well as technical assistance, including construction document review and business development insight, to ensure the facilities can deliver tennis at a high level. Completed projects will receive a sign commemorating that the courts were refurbished in honor of Gauff’s US Open victory.

The post USTA grant celebrating Coco Gauff to help resurface HBCU Court appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. —— The defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion FAMU Lady Rattler Tennis squad started the season on a high note sweeping Southern Mississippi for the first time in program history.

The FAMU Rattlers took the doubles point after Rebekkah Gaines and Reagan Harris won by forfeit, and Sara Rakim and Genesis Whitelock clinched the doubles point 6-2.

The Rattlers took an easy 2-0 lead after Harris won by walkover. Whitelock won the third point, winning her match (7-5, 6-0), and Veronica Rodriguez clinched the match with her win (7-5, 7-5).

The Rattlers travel to Mobile, Alabama, for a match at South Alabama tomorrow at 12 p.m. Eastern.

The post FAMU Lady Rattler tennis knocks off Southern Miss appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va.  — Exaggeration often holds hands with athletics when a description is needed. But to call North Carolina A&T’s Colonial Atheltic Association Women’s Tennis Championship Tournament first-round 4-3 win over the Hampton Pirates on Thursday the biggest in modern program history is not such a case.  

The Aggies, the No. 9 seed in the tournament, won at William & Mary’s Mackesy Tennis Center and will play the top seed and the tournament host, William & Mary Tribe Saturday morning at 9. The win improved the Aggies to 9-7 on the season, guaranteeing the program its first winning season in modern history. 

The historic win comes on the heels of the Aggies going 0-28 from 2020-22. Over five years from 2018-22, North Carolina A&T went 3-63, and Thursday’s CAA tournament win marks the program’s first postseason victory in 18 years. So, there are no exaggerations here. 

“This was a team effort and a well-deserved win for a women’s team that had to endure so much adversity with injuries off and on all season long,” said A&T head coach Dejon Bivens. “It was great to see that when it matters most, they made it happen to give us a chance to play against William & Mary tomorrow. We earned the right to play the best. We will bring all that we have for that effort.”

They certainly did that on Thursday. So to say Thursday’s win was hard-fought is not an overstatement. In fact, it may be an understatement. Trailing 3-2 with the No. 2 and No. 3 singles players still on the court, sophomore Cielo Tapia-Cruz found herself down a set at No. 2 against Diana Starodubtseva. 

Tapia-Cruz then became aware that the team needed her point. She quickly responded, dominating the second set 6-0 before taking the crucial third set 6-4 to keep North Carolina A&T season alive and put the opportunity to advance in a postseason tournament on the racquet of freshman Nuria Sanz at No. 3 singles. 

“Cielo has been showing such class and fight all season,” said Bivens. “To come back from a set down to win and give us a chance was breathtaking.” 

It took Sanz and her opponent, Mio Kozaki, four hours before their match determined Thursday’s winner. Although Sanz took the first set 6-3, Kozaki grabbed set No. 2, 7-5. Therefore, the match came down to the third set, where Sanz broke Kozaki’s serve three times to win the third set 6-2, sending the Aggies to the CAA quarterfinals. 

“What a crazy day. My singles match was a fight,” said Sanz. “It was a mental fight, and I was there for it most of the time. Today’s key was to break my opponent’s serve and try to win my serve every time. After I gave the team the clinching point, I was proud of how we worked and fought. I’m so happy with my mentality and my fight.” 

The day opened with Hampton tennis taking the doubles point by winning two of the three doubles competitions. Kozaki and Starodubtseva defeated Lana Caculovic and Isabela Romanichen 7-5 to start tournament play. The Pirates claimed the doubles point when their No. 3 team, Angelina Blinova and Lucia Jor Fernandez, beat Nour Gueblaoui and Asima Sazan 6-1. 

Sanz and Tapia-Cruz did give the Aggies some momentum going into singles with a No. 2 doubles win over Laura Peralta and Franzene Tsui 6-1. Gueblaoui then avenged her doubles loss with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Sobenna Egwuekwe at No. 5 singles to even the match at 1. 

North Carolina A&T tennis took the lead as Romanichen defeated Fernandez 6-0, 6-2 at No. 4 singles. Hampton tied the match when Blinova defeated Caculovic in three sets, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. The Pirates took the lead 3-2 when Peralta defeated Sazan at No. 6 singles, 0-6, 7-5, 6-4, setting up the dramatic ending. 

“The energy and the tournament were different today,” said Gueblauoui. “I loved it, and then supporting my friends was so great, sharing positive energy with them and staying beside them on their matches. I’m looking forward to our next fight.”

The post North Carolina A&T women’s tennis wins big over Hampton appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Florida A&M great Althea Gibson is far from being forgotten.  In 2019, she was honored with a statue at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, the site of the U.S. Open Tennis tournament.  Now, one of her crowing achievements off the court, her book “I Always Wanted to be Somebody,” is returning to circulation.

The book had all but disappeared over the years and copies of the book had fetched astronomical prices because of the limited supply.  Now, the gem can be yours for just $19.95 (or $9.95 on Kindle).  New Chapter Press, a leader in publishing tennis books, made the book readily available to the general public.

The book is about the story of Gibson’s growing up in Harlem.  It talks about her skipping school, drinking alcohol, stealing, and fist fighting.  It was a rough start for a woman who would get in college at Florida A&M and go on to be a trailblazer for not only Venus and Serena Williams, but tennis stars around the world.

From FAMU to the world

In the 1950s, a star on the campus of Florida A&M University would be under the guidance of Jake Gaither. But was not one of “Jake’s Boys.”  Far from it.  She was, Althea Gibson.

Born in Silver, South Carolina on August 25, 1927, Gibson grew up in Harlem, New York.  She would be taken under the wing of Dr. Walter Johnson in New York, who would also mentor Arthur Ashe along his career path.  She would progress as a teen and become dominant in New York.

Johnson would introduce her to specialized tennis training and connected her with the United States Tennis Association.

She was offered a scholarship to play tennis at Florida A&M and it would be a turning point in her life.  Coming south, FAMU would present the first opportunity for her to play tennis in an integrated environment.

After her sophomore season, Gaither would famously request a meeting with Gibson as she was not performing as the athletic department had expected.  Gaither encouraged her to focus on being the best player that she could be because he knew there was so much more inside of her.

Gibson would begin to soar from there.  She excelled at tennis, golf, and what most FAMUans know,  quite the pool player.  FAMU alumni who were at FAMU with her knows that she used to beat all the fellas in the pool room inside the FAMU bowling alley.  Tall and fit, she was quite the attractive woman as well.  She began to pursue modeling.  She pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha in FAMU’s Beta Alpha undergraduate chapter.

With racism rampant in America, after college she was relegated to the American Tennis Association…an association specifically for African-Americans.  In 1947 Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball and three years later, Gibson would do the same as the first African-American player in the National Tennis Championship.  She would then be the first African-American woman invited to play Wimbledon.  From there her career would escalate.

In 1956 she would be the first black to win a Grand Slam tournament

In 1956, she won the singles title in both the U.S. Open and the French Open, becoming the first African-American woman to win what are now called Grand Slam tournaments.  She followed that with her historic win at Wimbledon in 1957 and would repeat it in 1958.

During this trailblazing career, she won 56 singles and doubles titles.  She won 11 major championships, including three consecutive doubles titles at the French Open from 1956-1958. She would also repeat as singles winner in the U.S. Open in 1957 and 1958.

In 1957, the Associated Press named her Female Athlete of the Year.  It would be the first time an African-American would win the award.  For that feat, she was honored with covers on both Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine.  She would earn athlete of the year again in 1958.

She paved the way for African-American players who came after her.  Venus Williams and later her sister Serena, have paid homage to Gibson throughout their careers.  Venus would be the first black woman to win Wimbledon since Gibson, while Serena would be the first to do the same at the U.S. Open. 

With monies not being paid proportionately to women in sports, Gibson had to find other ways to earn income.  She would eventually earn nice paychecks by playing tennis matches as the opening entertainment for Harlem Globetrotter games.  It is reported that she earned over $100,000 per year doing so.

She was a multi-talented woman though.  She would release her autobiography in 1958 titled, “I Always Wanted to be Somebody.”  She would release a solo album titled “Althea Gibson Sings.”  She would also display her acting talents in a film titled “The Horse Soldiers,” starring alongside John Wayne in 1959.

In 1964, Althea Gibson became the first African-American to play on the LPGA Tour.

Althea Gibson was honored at Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2019 with an amazing statue

The US Open, on Women’s Equality Day in 2019, unveiled a statue of former Florida A&M women’s tennis great and former Grand Slam champion Althea Gibson. 

The ceremony was held in front of an audience filled with famous faces, including Billie Jean King, Christiane Amanpour, Katrina Adams, Sloane Stephens and former players Chanda Rubin, Zina Garrison, Angela Buxton and Leslie Allen.

Placed just outside Arthur Ashe stadium, the sculpture — created by Eric Goulder — plays tribute to one of the most important trailblazers in the sport.

“The whole sculpture reads from left to right,” Goulder said. “So things were this way. Then there is the shift … Things were brewing in the world that would allow her to do what she did. She didn’t just break the color barrier. She became the best in the world. This was at a time when people were like, Black people can’t play tennis.”

 Tennis legend Billie Jean King called Althea Gibson “an amazing athlete” who was the first African-American woman to play on the LPGA Tour.  

“When people learn [about] her story, it will inspire them to do great things with their lives,” King said.

“It’s a very inspirational moment for me to hear these tennis giants talk about the ultimate tennis giant being a FAMU graduate, talking about Althea Gibson, talking about how she inspired them, motivated them, trained them and played with them throughout her career and how that culminated in her being honored with a statue in front of Arthur Ashe Stadium, is amazing,” FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D said after the unveiling ceremony at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow.

In August of 2019, the FAMU Board of Trustees approved the naming of the University’s tennis complex in Gibson’s honor.  A memorial plaque already adorns the complex. 

The post Althea Gibson autobiography finds a new publisher appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Senior Miles Clark secured another three-set win atop the North Carolina Central University men’s tennis lineup to provide the Eagles with their lone team point in a 6-1 road loss at No. 10 Wake Forest University on Sunday afternoon at the Wake Forest Indoor Tennis Center.
 
Clark handed fifth-year senior Rrezart Cungo his first singles loss of the season with the triumph from the No. 1 position in NCCU‘s lineup. Clark controlled a third-set superset to finish off the 6-4, 2-6, 10-2 victory.
 
Miles Clark, an All-MEAC Second Team honoree last season, leveled his singles record to 2-2 on the season. His other win also came against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent when Clark dispatched a player from Duke on January 23.

The Demon Deacons, who used six different singles players against the Eagles than they used in their 4-3 win over No. 6 University of Georgia earlier Sunday, improved to 13-1 on the season.
 
Wake Forest won the other five singles matches in straight sets after winning the doubles point with 6-4 and 6-0 wins on courts two and three. However, Clark and Baran were leading the top doubles match for the maroon and gray when the match was stopped once the team point was awarded to the hosts.
 
NC Central (0-4) will next play at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Tar Heels are currently nationally ranked 21st, but another nationally poll is scheduled to be released by the ITA before that match starts on Wednesday.

The post Miles Clark Picks Up Another ACC win for NCCU Tennis appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Amber Fuller, a West Virginia transfer and former five-star recruit, will join the Norfolk State women’s tennis program for the upcoming season.
 
She arrives at NSU after competing as a freshman in 2021 at West Virginia. A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Fuller was ranked five stars and the No. 61 player in the nation in the 2020 recruiting class according to the Tennis Recruiting Network (TennisRecruiting.net).
 
“Amber is a very tenacious player and a true competitor on the court,” said head coach Larry Holmes. “I am excited to see her career progress these next several years here at Norfolk State.”

AMBER FULLER AT WEST VIRGINIA

As a true freshman last year with West Virginia, Fuller appeared in eight matches before the Mountaineers’ season was shut down. She played five matches at the No. 4 position and the other three at the No. 5 and 6 positions. She also played at No. 2 and 3 doubles, with five matches coming against fellow Big 12 programs that were ranked in the top 45 in the nation.
 
She owned a UTR as high as 10.11 while attending Walter Hines Page High School and was ranked as high as the No. 4 player in the state of North Carolina in her recruiting class. She won an International Tennis Federation (ITF) G5 tournament in Puerto Rico in 2018, finished second in the United States Tennis Association (USTA) College Combine in 2018, and took third in doubles at the G16 USTA Easter Bowl in 2017. As an 11-year-old in 2014, she topped a pair of collegiate players at the N.C. Closed Tennis Championships.
 
Fuller joins high school player Breana Cook, a three-star recruit by the Tennis Recruiting Network, as part of the 2021 recruiting class for NSU women’s tennis.
 

NSU TENNIS IS ON A ROLL

The Spartan women finished 8-6 overall this year and captured the MEAC Northern Division title at 3-0, their second-ever outright regular season title. They posted a winning record for the first time since 2013 and qualified for the MEAC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2008. NSU lost three seniors from last year’s team in All-MEAC players Paula Fortuno and Zoe Fraser in addition to Bruna Goncalves.

The post Amber Fuller, former 5-Star recruit, transfers to HBCU appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

She would progress as a teen and become dominant in New York. Johnson would introduce her to specialized tennis training and connected her with the United States Tennis Association. She was offered a scholarship to play tennis at Florida A&M and it would be a turning point in her life. Coming south, FAMU would present the first opportunity for her to play tennis in an integrated environment.

Following her sophomore season, Gaither requested a meeting with  Gibson as she was not performing as the athletic department had expected.  Gaither encouraged her to focus on being the best player that she could be because he knew there was so much more inside of her.

Gibson would begin to soar from there.  She excelled at tennis, golf, and was also quite the pool player.  FAMU alumni who were at FAMU with her knows that she used to beat all the fellas in the pool room inside the bowling alley.  Tall and statuesque, Gibson also pursued modeling while in school.  She pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha in the Beta Alpha undergraduate chapter.

With racism rampant in America, after college she was relegated to the American Tennis Association…an association specifically for African-Americans.  Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball in 1947 and three years later, Gibson would do the same as the first African-American player in the National Tennis Championship.  She would then be the first African-American woman invited to play Wimbledon. 

From there, her career would escalate.

In 1956, she won the singles title in both the U.S. Open and the French Open, becoming the first African-American woman to win what are now called Grand Slam tournaments.  She followed that with her historic win at Wimbledon in 1957 and repeated in 1958.

Gibson continues to blaze trails

Gibson won 56 singles and doubles titles during her trailblazing career.  She won 11  major championships, including three consecutive doubles titles at the French Open from 1956-1958. She would also repeat as singles winner in the U.S. Open in 1957 and 1958.

In 1957, the Associated Press named her Female Athlete of the Year.  It would be the first time an African-American would win the award.  For that feat, she was honored with covers on both Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine.  She would earn athlete of the year again in 1958.

She paved the way for African-American players who came after her.  Venus  Williams and later her sister Serena, have paid homage to Gibson throughout their careers.  Venus would be the first black woman to win Wimbledon since Gibson,  while Serena would be the first to do the same at the U.S. Open. 

With monies not being paid proportionately to women in sports, Gibson had to find other ways to earn income.  She would eventually earn nice paychecks by playing tennis matches as the opening entertainment for Harlem Globetrotter games.  It is reported that she earned over $100,000 per year doing so.

A multi-talented woman, Gibson would release her autobiography in 1958 titled, “I Always Wanted to be Somebody.”  She would release a solo album titled “Althea Gibson Sings.”  She would also display her acting talents in a film titled “The Horse Soldiers,” starring alongside John Wayne in 1959.Gibson became the first African-American to play on the LPGA Tour.

Gibson’s legacy: FAMU and beyond

Gibson was honored at Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2019 with an amazing statue. The US Open, on Women’s Equality Day in 2019, unveiled a statue of the former Florida A&M women’s tennis great.

The ceremony was held in front of an audience filled with famous faces, including  Billie Jean King, Christiane Amanpour, Katrina Adams, Sloane Stephens and former players Chanda Rubin, Zina Garrison, Angela Buxton and Leslie Allen.

Placed just outside Arthur Ashe stadium, the sculpture — created by Eric Goulder — plays tribute to one of the most important trailblazers in the sport. 

“So things were this way. Then there is the shift … Things were brewing in the world that would allow her to do what she did. She didn’t just break the color barrier. She became the best in the world. This was at a time when people were like, Black people can’t play tennis.”

King called Gibson “an amazing athlete.“

‘When people learn [about] her story, it will inspire them to do great things with their lives,” King said.

“It’s a very inspirational moment for me to hear these tennis giants talk about the ultimate tennis giant being a FAMU graduate, talking about Althea Gibson, talking about how she inspired them, motivated them, trained them and played with them throughout her career and how that culminated in her being honored with a statue in front of Arthur Ashe Stadium, is amazing,” FAMU President Dr. Larry Robinson,  said after the unveiling ceremony at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow.

In August of 2019, the FAMU Board of Trustees approved the naming of the University’s tennis complex in Gibson’s honor, where a memorial plaque already adorns the complex.

Former FAMU All MEAC Tennis Player Zach Evenden, who now coaches on the pro tennis tour, said the ceremony to unveil Gibson’s monument had special meaning for him. Evenden attended the ceremony, along with fellow pro-tour coach and former FAMU tennis player Kamau Murray and a sizable FAMU alumni contingent. Murray coaches 2017 U.S. Open Champion Sloane Stephens.

“It makes us feel great to see someone with her background and where she comes from and how she is being celebrated today with a statue. It’s great. It makes a big change,” said Evenden.

“For all the Rattlers out there, this is a special day for all of us. One of her dear colleagues put it this way: ‘She is looking over Arthur Ashe Stadium. She’s a  pioneer. She’s the Jackie Robinson of tennis, and not just of women’s tennis,’”  Robinson continued. “She opened the door for Arthur Ashe, Venus and Serena and other players. It’s phenomenal to think about what this Rattler did for the history of tennis and for the present-day tennis in this nation and around the world.

The post Althea Gibson’s legacy lives at FAMU and beyond appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

NEW ORLEANS – Robert Ryland, a Xavier University of Louisiana alum and the first to integrate the mainstream U.S. pro tennis tour, died Sunday (Aug. 2, 2020) in New York at age 100.

Ryland became a centenarian June 16. He was born in Chicago and spent his first year of college at XULA during 1940-41. He departed XULA to join the Army during World War II.

After the war, Ryland competed at Wayne State – where he reached the singles quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament in 1945 and the third round in 1946 – and Tennessee State, where he received a bachelor’s degree.

Ryland was nearly 40 when he accepted an invitation to compete on the previously whites-only World Pro Tour in 1959. He also competed in the American Tennis Association and was the ATA singles champion in 1955 and 1956. Ryland defeated Howard Minnis of Baton Rouge, La., 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 in the 1955 ATA final.

[inArticle]

Ryland earned an invitation to the 1955 U.S. Open and was eliminated in straight sets in the opening round of singles.

He gained great fame as a tennis teacher. Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Leslie Allen, Arthur Ashe and Harold Solomon were some of Ryland’s proteges. Ryland also taught entertainers Eartha Kitt, Bill Cosby, Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand.

“He was instrumental in my career, touched so many lives and is the reason behind the growth of so many players of color in tennis today,” said Allen – who ranked as high as 17th in WTA singles – to Jerry Bembry of theundefeated.com. “To many people he was Coach Ryland, but for me, he was Cousin Bob. He was family, and what I always knew about him was that he loved tennis until the very end.”

Ryland and three other XULA standouts – Jimmie McDaniel, Dick Cohen and Louis Graves – were part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum’s exhibit at the 2007 U.S. Open to honor black tennis pioneers. The Wall Street Journal (writer Tyler Blint-Welsh, photographer Gabriela Bhaskar) published an August 2019 feature titled, “Sports Pioneer, at 99, Is the Oldest Tennis Player in New York City / The first male African-American pro, Robert Ryland remains active teaching as he approaches his 100th birthday.”
 

In its Nov. 14, 1953, edition, the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper said, “Ryland is to the tennis world what Jackie Robinson has been to baseball, Joe Lillard was to pro football and Ted Rhodes to golf.”

Herb Douglas – a 1948 Olympic long-jump medalist and a XULA freshman the same year as Ryland – said, “I liked Bob. We got along as brothers. He was a great player and could beat everybody. He was good-natured.”

[inArticle]

Ryland is a member of the Black Tennis Hall of Fame, the USTA Eastern Hall of Fame, the USTA Midwest Hall of Fame and Wayne State’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Ryland graduated from Chicago’s Tilden Tech High School, now known as Edward Tilden Career Community Academy High School.

Ryland is survived by his wife, Nancy, who told the USTA that her husband would be happy with any contributions to junior tennis on his behalf.

The post Robert Ryland, the first black to integrate U.S. pro tennis dies appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland – The University of Maryland Eastern Shore will suspend the women’s tennis program beginning with the 2020-21 academic year. Eastern Shore will still field the required 14 Division I sports to meet sports sponsorship.

[postBannerAd]

“We will take the next three years to perform an assessment of the program’s needs,” Hawk Athletic Director Keith Davidson said. “During this suspension, a number of areas will be reviewed and evaluated. Current practice and match facilities, scholarships, equipment, coaching staff and other expenses that continue to impact our ability to offer a quality program for our young women will all be looked at.”
 
In addition, the university will initiate a fundraising campaign that will be dedicated to supporting the tennis program and returning our ladies to the court as well as reinstating the men’s program, which was suspended beginning with the 2017-18 academic year.

The post Women’s Tennis Program Suspended Indefinitely at UMES appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

NEW ORLEANS – XULA tennis teams will compete in the Southern States Athletic Conference in the spring of 2021 as affiliate members.

The SSAC announced Friday the addition of the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets. XULA has not competed for league honors in tennis since 2010 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.

[postBannerAd]

affiliate membership

NAIA legislation approved in 2014 permits teams in conferences without automatic bids – five or fewer eligible teams – to pursue affiliate membership with automatic-bid conferences. The GCAC, XULA’s home since 1981, has not qualified for automatic bids to tennis nationals since 2010.
“Our teams are excited to be a part of a conference again,” said Alan Green, XULA’s director of tennis and in his 18th season as coach of the Rush and Nuggets.

“The Southern States has always been arguably the strongest NAIA league in the nation, and we are looking forward to the challenge there. I believe we will all help each other continue to be national powers in the NAIA.”
The final NAIA coaches polls of 2020 had four women’s and three men’s teams from the Southern States in the top 25. But the Rush (No. 2) and Nuggets (No. 3) ranked higher than anyone in the SSAC.

XULA tennis success

XULA’s men were NAIA national runner-up in 2016, 2017 and 2019 and a semifinalist in 2018. The women reached the national semifinals five times in seven years: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019. The Gold Rush have made 107 consecutive appearances in the top 25 – the longest active streak in NAIA men’s tennis.

[adrotate banner=”42″]

“We truly are enjoying the success we have had with our tennis programs on the court, in the classroom and in the community,” said Jason Horn, XULA’s assistant vice president for student affairs/director of athletics and recreation. “One of the discussion points that coach Green and I had at the end of last season was looking at the opportunity to play in a conference tournament. There are a few schools with a good proximity to New Orleans that we play regularly, and it made sense for us to have the discussion with the Southern States Athletic Conference and commissioner Mike Hall. We look forward to the great competition that our tennis teams will have in the Southern States.”

Southern States

The top-25 teams in the Southern States in 2020 were William Carey (No. 4 men, No. 4 women), Middle Georgia (No. 6 men, No. 10 women), Mobile (No. 12 men, No. 25 women) and city rival Loyola (No. 15 women).
“We feel we are the best tennis conference in the NAIA,” Hall said, “and adding two more elite programs with Xavier’s men and women only solidifies that. With this affiliate membership, we believe that we can offer their student-athletes an outstanding championship experience.”

XULA teams in men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country and men’s and women’s track and field will continue to compete for championships in the GCAC. XULA teams in competitive cheer, baseball and softball will compete for bids to national tournaments via NAIA unaffiliated groupings.

[inArticle]

Impressive GCAC tenure

XULA concluded its GCAC tennis tenure impressively. The men won five straight GCAC Tournament championships in six years and their final 45 GCAC regular-season dual matches. The women won the GCAC Tournament seven times in their final eight attempts and 64 of their last 65 GCAC regular-season dual matches. Since 2010 the Rush and Nuggets are 5-0 apiece against GCAC opponents.

In NAIA unaffiliated group tournaments, the Rush and Nuggets won three championships apiece. But XULA has not competed in in unaffiliated tournaments since 2014 and relied since then on its lofty poll rankings to earn at-large invitations to NAIA nationals.

[postBannerAd]

The post XULA tennis teams to join Southern States as affiliate members appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

PINE BLUFF, Ark. – The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Department of Athletics will suspend its men’s and women’s tennis programs for the upcoming season. Every student-athlete in the tennis program currently receiving athletic aid will continue to do so if they remain at UAPB while the program is suspended.

[postBannerAd]

The student-athletes also have the option to transfer to another institution and gain immediate athletic eligibility. UAPB is one of more than 25 universities or conferences which has suspended, eliminated, or reduced sports sponsorship and/or championship formats due to the effects of the Covid-19, which led to the suspensions of athletics competitions and cancellation of spring seasons in mid-March.

“This was a very difficult decision, but one that was necessary at this time,” said UAPB Vice Chancellor / Director of Athletics Chris Peterson. “Everyone in collegiate athletics is facing unprecedented challenges, and UAPB is no different.”

[postBannerAd]

The post UAPB Suspends Tennis Programs appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

[postBannerAd]

“It is important for us to do this work during the COVID-19 pandemic to remain connected to the community we serve and promoting good mental health,” said CSU tennis head coach Ebonye Jones. “We are doing what we can to provide programming that is meaningful for families of the Ace Project.” 

On Monday’s, the ACE Project updates their social channels with a five-minute physical challenge that you can do at home.  Wednesday’s provide youth living in several communities to check in with the ACE team, catch up with their peers and meet other participants in a safe and secure space. The week concludes on Friday’s where the participants and ACE team celebrate the completed week with a virtual field trip or activity.

[adrotate banner=”42″]

The fitness sessions can be found on the ACE Project’s Facebook page, and the virtual sessions can be viewed with login information provided by the organization.

For social media information on the ACE project’s activities, visit any of the following hashtags: #ACEinPlace, #GetMovingMondays, #WednesdayWellness and #FridayFunday

More information on The ACE Project can be found at their website www.activechildrenexcel.org

[postBannerAd]

The post Coppin State Tennis Teams with The ACE Project to Virtually Serve Under-Resourced Communities appeared first on HBCU Gameday.