A Legacy of Uniting Our Communities
Through The Love of Tennis.
The ATA is the oldest African American Sports organization in the United States. For over 100 years, the goal of the ATA has been to drive diversity, inclusion, and equity in the game of tennis. We build partnerships and programs to increase opportunities and to focus on helping underserved communities grow in the game of tennis.
ATA SOUTH PROMOTIONAL SPACE
Our President's Message
Dear Members, Sponsors, and Supporters,
As President of the American Tennis Association (ATA), I am thankful for the opportunity to grow our memberships and partnerships. Since 1916 this proud volunteer organization has survived because of committed membership and generous donors. We believe the “ATA is where culture comes to play” and look forward to seeing tennis lovers of all ages and backgrounds at an ATA event.
The underlying concepts of Social Emotional Learning such as self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness are what the ATA has espoused since our inception. The ATA’s original motto of
Sportsmanship, Unity, and Goodwill is something we continue to take seriously since 1916. Moreover, Emotional Intelligence was a cornerstone taught by Dr. Robert “Whirlwind” Johnson to students in the ATA Junior Development Program during the 1950’s and 1960’s.
We will continue to do our part in growing the game with a focus on boosting awareness and passion in underserved tennis communities. Playing tennis teaches us problem solving skills and the importance of taking ownership of our results. These life lessons are being modeled by many of our ATA adult players.
A sincere thanks to our membership, donors, partners, and generations of players for keeping the ATA flame alive. Our former ATA champion Althea Gibson once said, “No matter what accomplishments you achieve, somebody helped you”. Please continue to support us and hope to see you at our ATA
Nationals, educational webinars, or ATA regional events.
All the Best,
Robert Foster
104
Years
The ATA has served our
tennis community for
over 104 years. We
are one of a kind.
4,700
Life Members
To date we have over 4,700 life time members, the ATA is more active than
it has ever been.
95,000
Tournament Participants
Since 1917, the ATA has hosted an annual tournament that averages 950 participants per year.
65,000
Junior Participants
Our youth represent over 15 regional and international junior development rallies, its no wonder why our juniors grow up healthy, productive and ready to play as adults.
Join
the ATA
Participate in Countless ATA
Activities and Programs all Year Long.
Become a member of this historic organization and help progress history. Becoming a member includes many benefits as well.
Receive a downloadable
membership card.
Members receive discounts* at
The USTA National Campus
Pro Shop!
Our Proud Tradition
Defined by Excellence
Tennis has its origins in the medieval era, but the modern form of lawn tennis was patented in 1874 by Walter C. Wingfield in Great Britain. The first Wimbledon tournament was played in 1877. The first tennis court in the U.S. was built in 1876, and the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association was formed in 1881. International competition began in 1900 with the first Davis Cup tournament between the U.S. and Great Britain.
African-American universities, including Tuskegee and Howard, offered tennis to students from the 1890s. Beginning in 1898 at Philadelphia’s Chautauqua Tennis Club, African-American tennis players from the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast competed in invitational tournaments.
When the USLTA (Currently the USTA) issued a policy statement formally barring African-American tennis players from its competitions, the Association Tennis Club of Washington, DC, and the Monumental Tennis Club of Baltimore, Maryland, conceived the idea of the American Tennis Association (ATA).
The ATA was born when representatives from more than a dozen black tennis clubs met in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 30, 1916, Thanksgiving Day. Dr. Harry S. McCard, Dr. William H. Wright, Dr. B.M. Rhetta, Ralph Cook, Henry Freeman, and Tally Holmes were among the ATA’s founding fathers. Holmes, of Washington, D.C., won the first two ATA men’s singles titles.
Johnson
Walter
Dr. Whirlwind Johnson was an American physician, college football player and coach, and founder of the American Tennis Association Junior Development Program for African-American youths, where he coached and fostered the careers of Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson.
September 30, 1911 – August 22, 1987
Holmes
Tally
Talley Robert "Tally" Holmes was an American tennis player in the 1910s and 1920s. Holmes was among the founders in 1916 of the American Tennis Association (ATA). Holmes and other representatives from dozens of black tennis clubs met in Washington, D.C., on Thanksgiving Day to create a more organized way for black youths to participate in tennis. At the time they were excluded from white tennis clubs, but the sport was attracting black athletes in leading Black colleges. The group of men created the American Tennis Association.
December 9, 1889 − March 1, 1969
Wier
Reginald
Reginald Storum Weir also known as Reggie Weir was an American tennis player and physician. He was active from 1931 to 1973 and won 6 career titles, 5 of which came at the ATA National Championships (1931–33, 1937, 1942). Tally was the first African-American man to play at a USLTA (USTA) event. His entrance to the tournament was the result of several years of lobbying by the ATA, and paved the way for Althea Gibson to be accepted and advance to the quarterfinals the following year.
September 30, 1911 – August 22, 1987
Lucy
Diggs
Lucy Diggs Slowe made history as the winner of the first ATA National Women's Singles Championship in 1917. Ms. Slowe was also a 17-time tennis champion. On January 15, 1908, Slowe and nine other woman founded the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. In 1922, she became the first Dean of Women at Howard University.
July 4, 1885 – October 21, 1937
Althea
Gibson
Althea Gibson was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and the first Black athlete to cross the color line of international tennis. In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam title.
August 25, 1927 – September 28, 2003
Arthur
Ashe
July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993
Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. was an American professional tennis player who won three Grand Slam titles. Ashe was the first black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team and the only black man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. He retired in 1980.
Lori
McNeil
Lori McNeil attended Oklahoma State University for two years and played tennis for the Cowgirls, reaching the 1983 NCAA Quarterfinals. McNeil played on the WTA Tour for 19 years from 1983–2002. She won a total of 10 singles and 33 doubles titles during her career. Her career-high world rankings were World No. 9 in singles (in 1988), and World No. 4 in doubles (in 1987).
born December 18, 1963
Zina
Garrison
born November 16, 1963
Zina Lynna Garrison is a former professional tennis player from Houston, Texas. During her career, she was a women's singles runner-up at Wimbledon in 1990, a three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion, and a women's doubles gold medalist and singles bronze medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games. She received the WTA Newcomer of the Year award in 1982.
James
Blake
During his career, Blake amassed 24 singles finals appearances, while his career-high singles ranking was World No. 4. In 2005, Blake was presented with the Comeback Player of the Year award for his remarkable return to the tour. Later, in 2008, Blake was awarded another honor where he was named the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year. Blake saw Davis Cup action in 2001 and became the third African-American player for the US (after Arthur Ashe and MaliVai Washington).
born December 28, 1979
Leslie
Allen
During his career, Blake amassed 24 singles finals appearances, while his career-high singles ranking was World No. 4. In 2005, Blake was presented with the Comeback Player of the Year award for his remarkable return to the tour. Later, in 2008, Blake was awarded another honor where he was named the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year. Blake saw Davis Cup action in 2001 and became the third African-American player for the US (after Arthur Ashe and MaliVai Washington).
born March 12, 1957
MaliVai
Washington
MaliVai "Mal" Washington reached the Men's Singles final at Wimbledon in 1996, won four ATP titles, and achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 11 in October 1992. In 2009 Washington won the ATP Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award, for his positive work through the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation.
born June 20, 1969
Chanda
Rubin
Chanda Rubin won seven WTA Tour singles titles, she reached her highest ranking at World No. 6 on April 8, 1996, after reaching the semifinals at the 1996 Australian Open. Rubin achieved a career-high ranking of No. 9 in doubles, winning the Australian Open in 1996 with Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. She is also a three-time Grand Slam singles quarterfinalist, having reached that stage at the French Open in 1995, 2000, and 2003.
born February 18, 1976
Rodney
Harmon
Harmon is featured on Tennis Channel's Tennis Channel Academy, where he stars in a 30-minute coaching show. Rodney was only the second African-American man to have reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals, alongside legend Arthur Ashe until James Blake in 2005. Rodney was named head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's tennis team on July 3, 2012.
born August 16, 1961
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