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THIRD ANNUAL

NOVEMBER 2-3

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A Legacy of Uniting Our Communities
Through The
Love of Tennis.

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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.

About
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Adults

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Coaches

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Volunteer

Tennis Serve

Tournament

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Juniors

Tennis Racket and Ball

Donate

ATA SOUTH PROMOTIONAL SPACE

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Our President's  Message 

Dear Members, Sponsors and Supporters, 

 

As the President of the American Tennis Association, I am proud  that the ATA  has never been more relevant and important in the world of tennis. The ATA provides abundant opportunities to learn, play, teach, and mentor the sport of tennis. 

 

The changes around us  - whether socially, politically, economically or otherwise - requires that we remain true to our mission to work to advance equity, reduce disparities and to support  unrepresented youth and families in the sport of tennis. 

 

If you are new to our website, welcome! Please take the time to learn during your visit about the rich history of our 107 year old organization.  

 

 I hope to see you soon, especially at our 105th ATA Nationals at the USTA National Campus in Orlando Florida, July 22nd -July 28th. Our Nationals draw over 1000 players and their families from all over the US, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 

 

So join us. You'll be glad you did.

​

Roxanne Aaron

Boys 12 Consolation Champion
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With the generous support of our members and friends can we can help junior players from under-represented communities.  

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.

PARTNERSHIP PROMOTIONAL IMAGE SPACE

PARTNERSHIP PROMOTIONAL IMAGE SPACE

Membership
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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!

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Benefits

Of The ATA

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ATA Member Card
and Access to Our Merchandise

Invitation to Experience The Adult & Junior Regional Rallies.

Instant Access to Monthly Newsletter

Compete In ATA Tournaments

Access to an Awesome Historic Community of Active Tennis Players

Tradition

Our Proud Tradition

Defined by Excellence

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

HISTORY
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PARTNERSHIP PROMOTIONAL IMAGE SPACE

It's Your ATA

Through The Years: A Look Around
The American Tennis Association

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Contact

Contact Us

9701 Apollo Drive, Suite 100 | Largo, MD 20774

TEL: 240.487.5953  
igutierrez@yourata.org

info@yourata.org

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