African-American Tennis History Timeline
Wimbeldon, which began on Monday, is kind of the 3-4 month gluttony period of ATP and WTA Grand Slam tournaments — from the French Open to the U.S. Open in Queens, New York . I will, no doubt, be glued to my television screen rooting for, and, vicariously experiencing Serena and Venus Williams’ ups and downs. And of course, my hopes will be riding high for today’s superstars Nadal and Federer — hoping they will remain sharp enough to reach the finals. So it seems appropriate that I should give some thought to African-American contributions to tennis history. Most of us know of Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe Serena and Venus Williams, James Blake, Sloane Stephens and Donald Young. But there are many other African-American tennis players and coaches — read here about The American Tennis Association (ATA).