Jane Preyer, North Carolina, 2024

Jane Preyer’s long and successful career was rooted in tennis glory and expanded into a dedication to volunteerism and environmental protection.

From winning two North Carolina junior state junior championships, to a collegiate All-American, to No. 43 world ranking, to an award-winning college coach and trail-blazing environmental career, Preyer has made her mark in many endeavors.

When she was a child, she was taught tennis by her mother, Emily. Later they were ranked No. 2 in the USTA mother/daughter rankings. In the early 1970s she won the North Carolina State Championships in Girls’ 18s singles and doubles and posted top-3 finishes in two national doubles tournaments.

Preyer’s longtime connection to the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill began in 1973. She was an All-American and team captain in 1975-1976. She also earned a B.A. in English and a M.P.A. from the university.

From 1978-83 she played on the WTA Tour and rose to No. 43 in the world. She played twice at the US Open and Wimbledon, where she reached the round of 16. She also competed at the French Open and Australian Open.  She had wins over four top players from other countries who achieved top-5 rankings in the world: Evonne Goolagong, Manuela Maleeva, Sue Barker, and Betty Stove. She extended Billie Jean King to three sets at the Australian Open and competed for three sets against Chris Evert in US Open doubles.

When an elbow injury ended her pro career, she returned home to Greensboro, N.C., where she volunteered to coach Page High School, which won a state championship. She also served as a volunteer coach for UNC-Greensboro.

In 1985, she accepted the challenge to turn around a struggling Duke women’s team. Within two years, that team became, and remains today, a national powerhouse.  In her six-year tenure, Duke won four ACC championships, and she was named ACC Coach of the Year four times (1988-89, 1990-91). Her record was 120-45 for a 72.7 winning percentage.

In 1990, she was awarded the prestigious Community Service Award by the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association and the USTA. The award honors coaches who have “contributed to community tennis development through volunteer and municipal programs.” Tennis greats Arthur Ashe and Stan Smith presented her with the award in a ceremony at the US Open in New York.

The North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame inducted her in 1991.

Preyer is the former director of the Southeast office of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). In that role, she was senior adviser for policy and political strategy on a broad range of issues and on fundraising. Her leadership helped pass some of the most effective environmental policies in North Carolina, including laws to reduce pollution from coal plants, address climate change impacts, reduce pollution in watersheds, and increased use of renewable energy and efficiency measures. She also managed EDF’s initiative with national companies to increase the use of environmentally preferable paper.

Currently, she serves on the boards of the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), Earthshare N.C., and NC Environmental Defense Fund. Former board service includes North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, and UNC-Chapel Hill Institute for the Humanities.

In 2005, in honor of her mother, she and her siblings established the Emily Preyer Family Endowment at the North Carolina Tennis Foundation which assists kids with limited family incomes to attend college.

Preyer was nominated by USTA Southern Junior Competition Chair Debbie Southern. She extolled Preyer’s sportsmanship, writing, “Jane Preyer is the epitome of sportsmanship and character. Jane was my role model growing up in NC tennis. I was always impressed with her talents and skills as a tennis player but also her sportsmanship and character. Jane never put winning over integrity. Other players on the pro tour felt the same way about Jane. I can attest to the sportsmanship and character Jane instilled in her Duke teams as I coached against her during her career. Jane’s teams always fought hard and played with integrity and respect for their opponents. Jane instilled character and sportsmanship in all her young players!”

Highlights:

• Achieved a No. 43 world ranking.

• Played six years on WTA Tour, with two appearances at the US Open and Wimbledon.

• Defeated Evonne Goolagong, Manuela Maleeva, Sue Barker, and Betty Stove.

• Inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991.

• Her teams at Duke won four ACC Championships.

• Named ACC Coach of the Year four times in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991.

• Awarded the Community Service Award by the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association and USTA.

‍

Keith Richardson, South Carolina & North Carolina, 2024

Keith Richardson, a native of Rock Hill, S.C., defeated Kevin Curren (twice), John Lloyd, Eliot Teltscher, and Eddie Dibbs in his four-year run on the ATP Tour. In 1977, he hit a career-high singles world ranking of No. 63 and No. 146 in doubles in 1979.

2001 was a notable year for Richardson as he was inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame. The following year he was honored by the York County (S.C.) Sports Hall of Fame.

Richardson showed great promise at 13 when he won the Palmetto Open in 1967 at Belton, SC. He also triumphed at the South Carolina Open and the South Carolina Closed in Columbia. Those results earned him the top ranking in South Carolina and was ranked No. 3 in the South during his final year in the juniors. He was the state’s 1971 4A South Carolina High School Champion while attending Rock Hill High School. Richardson has been ranked No. 1 in men’s singles in three states: South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.

Appalachian State was where he played No. 1 in singles and doubles between 1971-75. He was a three-time Southern Conference singles and two-time doubles champion. He finished with a 109-11 record and was inducted into the Appalachian State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. He graduated from the University’s Walker School of Business, BSBA, in 1975.

In 1977, Richardson captured the singles title at the WATCH Masters Tournament in Daytona Beach. At the Birmingham (Ala.) Classic, he downed Curren, Mansour Baharami, John Austin, and Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Zan Guerry, taking all matches without losing a set. He played his first US Open that year.

Two years later, he captured the crown at the Tanglewood Classic in Winston-Salem, N.C., and was a doubles finalist with John James at the ATP Orange State Lumber Men’s Indoor, losing to Ilie Nastase and Steve Krulevitz. He advanced to the US Open third round that year before falling to Dick Stockton.

He served as Head Tennis Pro at the Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount, N.C., for three years and then moved into the Property & Casualty Insurance business. Additionally, he headed the North Carolina Association of Tennis Professionals as President and was selected as the North Carolina USPTA Tennis Pro of the Year in 1982.

He is an active senior player, competing in ITF and USTA 70 & over tournaments all over the United States. College tennis coaching legend Ron Smarr nominated Richardson and 2016 Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Rex Maynard wrote of Richardson, “Keith was an outstanding junior, college, and professional player. He has had and continues to have success at every level and is an inductee of both the North and South Carolina Tennis Halls of Fame…I have always found him to be kind, helpful, and supportive of tennis.”

A resident of Charlotte, N.C., Richardson’s family includes his wife, Marilyn; brother, David; son-in-law Scott Andrews; daughter, Sarah Richardson Andrews; son Keith, Jr.; grandson, William Davis Andrews; granddaughter, Brice Elizabeth Andrews.

Highlights:

• Achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 63 and No. 146 in doubles.

• Inducted into these Halls of Fame: South Carolina, North Carolina, Appalachian State University Athletic Halls of Fame and the York County (S.C.) Sports Hall of Fame.

• Defeated Kevin Curren (twice), John Lloyd, Eliott Teltscher, and Eddie Dibbs while playing on the ATP Tour.

• Finished with a 109-11 record at Appalachian State. Named a “Legend” at Appalachian State, June, 2022.

• Three-time Southern Conference singles and two-time doubles champion.

• Headed the North Carolina Association of Tennis Professionals as President. Named USPTA North Carolina Tennis Pro of the Year in 1982.

• Named to the Southern Conference 100th Anniversary Tennis Team, 2021.

‍

Manuel Diaz, Georgia, 2024

Manuel Diaz – the SEC’s all-time winningest coach with 767 career victories – led the Bulldogs to another conference championship and deep run in the NCAA tournament in 2023.

The legendary coach has guided Georgia to 29 SEC championships, four NCAA national titles (1999, 2001, 2007 and 2008), and two ITA indoor national championships in 36 years. He has been named SEC Coach of the Year on seven occasions and the ITA National Coach of the Year three times.

Most recently, the Bulldogs captured the SEC crown with a perfect 12-0 conference record on their way to the NCAA quarterfinals. Under Diaz’s guidance, redshirt-freshman Ethan Quinn became just the fourth rookie since 1977 to win the NCAA singles championship and the third Georgia player to accomplish the feat, joining the elite company of Mikael Pernfors and Matias Boeker.

Overall, Diaz’s teams have made 11 trips to the NCAA finals and 18 appearances in the NCAA semifinals round. His squads have also finished with an unblemished conference mark seven times.

From 2013-17, Georgia won five-straight SEC championships for the first time since 1971-75. The 2017 SEC Coach of the Year guided the Bulldogs to their second consecutive NCAA semifinals and 24th overall. Under his leadership, the top-ranked duo of Jan Zielinski and Robert Loeb earned All-America status after advancing all the way to the 2017 NCAA Doubles Championship match.

Diaz won the 600th match of his career against Alabama in April 2014, becoming just the 10th NCAA Division-I coach to reach that milestone.

Diaz led the Bulldogs to their second consecutive NCAA Championship in 2008. With six NCAA team championship titles in school history, Diaz has accounted for four of them as the head coach (1999, 2001, 2007, 2008), and he was also an assistant coach under Magill on both of the other winning squads (1985, ‘87).

From April 23, 2005, to March 19, 2010, Diaz coached the Dawgs to 71 straight wins at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex, the second-longest home winning streak in program history. Diaz led Georgia to 11 consecutive national top-five finishes from 1989 to 1999, a feat no other school in the country can match.

Diaz’s Bulldogs won the program’s first-ever triple crown of tennis in 2001, as the team won its second national title in three years, while Matias Boeker won the NCAA singles crown and teamed with Travis Parrott for the doubles’ championship. It was only the third time since 1977 that such a feat had been accomplished.

Diaz was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1989, 1995, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2017, and 2023. Under Diaz, Georgia has seen 39 players earn 77 All-America honors. Five Bulldogs have been four-year All-Americans: Mike Sell (1992-95), Jamie Laschinger (1993-96), Steven Baldas (1995-98), Bo Hodge (2001-04), and most recently John Isner (2004-07).

Diaz has a proven track record at developing players for their careers in college and beyond. After he was a four-time All-American at UGA, Isner has gone on to achieve a top-10 ATP world ranking. Diaz was involved in the development of 1984 and 1985 NCAA singles champion Mikael Pernfors, who also went on to reach an ATP top-10 ranking along with being a finalist in the 1986 French Open.

Diaz also coached Grand Slam champions Murphy Jensen (French Open doubles) and T.J. Middleton (Wimbledon mixed doubles) in addition to numerous players who were in or around the ATP top-100 in the world.

Diaz is a respected and honored leader in collegiate tennis, including being selected as the Wilson/ITA National Coach-of-the Year in 1995, 2001, and 2007. In 2000, he was inducted into the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame. For his outstanding contribution to tennis in his home country of Puerto Rico, Diaz was inducted into the Puerto Rican Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2017, Diaz was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

Diaz played at Georgia from 1972-75 and was a two-time All-American. He was named assistant coach in 1982, promoted to associate head coach in 1985, then head coach during the 1988-89 season.

A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Diaz is married to the former Suzanne Rondeau of Toronto, Canada. They have three sons: Manuel III, Eric, and Alex.

Highlights:

• Has compiled a 767-192 (.800) record in 36 years as the head men’s tennis coach at the University of Georgia.

• The all-time winningest coach in SEC history, just ahead of Bulldog legend Dan Magill.

• Led Georgia to six national championships and a remarkable 29 SEC titles.

• Named the ITA National Coach of the Year three times and the SEC Coach of the Year on seven occasions.

• Diaz’s teams have made 11 trips to the NCAA finals and 18 appearances in the NCAA semifinals round. His squads have also finished with an unblemished conference mark seven times.

• Played at Georgia from 1972-75 and was a two-time All-American. He was named assistant coach in 1982, promoted to associate head coach in 1985 and head coach during the 1988-89 season.

‍

Paula Hale tells the story of her family who usually attends ceremonies when Hale is honored.

With her induction into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame coming next January, Hale guessed what her family will say: “Congratulations, we are so proud of you! Oh no, we have to go to Atlanta this time?”

Considering the long list of award presentations that have been bestowed on this Raleigh, N.C., resident, being Hale’s family can be a little taxing.

Hale has received 12 notable awards. Here is the list of the most prominent: USTA Barbara Williams Leadership Award, USTA Major Wingfield Historical Society, USTA Southern Section Jacobs Bowl, USTA Southern Charlie Morris Service Award, USTA Southern President’s Award, USTA North Carolina President’s Award, North Carolina Order of the Long Pine (highest honor for North Carolina citizens), and the Racquet Sports Industry magazine Champions of Tennis – Tennis Advocate of the Year. She was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 2018.

She headed up USTA Southern as President & CEO and USTA North Carolina as President along with volunteering in numerous board positions in both associations.

USTA Southern Executive Vice President Brett Schwartz wrote in his nomination of Hale, “Paula is of the highest character as evidenced by the way she has conducted herself during the breadth of her award-winning tennis service career. In summary, Paula has been a driving force at every level of the USTA and has been a champion for grassroots tennis which is where tennis is grown. I can’t imagine anyone more deserving of entry into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame.”

Enrolled at Eastern Carolina University as a Physical Education major, she decided to take a “Tennis 101” course. Other than that class and a few lessons over the years, Hale said she was self-taught.

“I had played golf, but tennis was a lot more fun and took less time. I was athletic and could run all day so most of my wins were because I could outlast them, not outplay them,” she recalled. Talking about her tennis strategy, she explained, “I have no strategy. It’s just see ball, hit ball. I just love to play the game, get some exercise, and have fun with my friends. I do have a wicked dropshot, though.”

In the mid-1970s, she was asked to help in local tennis events sponsored by the Wilson (N.C.) Tennis Foundation. “For years I just helped out until they put me in charge. I guess I was on a pathway. Back then, we didn’t know what a pathway was.”

That pathway started in Wilson, went through the USTA North Carolina state office in Greensboro, down to metro Atlanta where USTA Southern is located, and then on to the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.

In addition to the long list of her major accomplishments, there are also other important positions she has held. Hale served as Raleigh Racquet Club President and Wilson Tennis Foundation President. Also, she served on eight USTA North Carolina committees, eight USTA Southern committees, and ten USTA committees.

Hale answered the question of why she volunteered for so many years. “If you can help bring others to the game and watch them find a lifelong love of tennis, that is really satisfying to me.” She cites her involvement on the USTA Community Tennis Association Committee as some of her most important work, tying together her nearly 50 years of dedication championing the grassroots of tennis. “I strongly believe in advocacy on the local level,” she added.

Highlights:

• Worked for years with CTAs and helped form the Downeast Tennis Association.

• President of USTA North Carolina 2000-03 and President of the North Carolina Tennis Foundation, 2004-06.

• President of USTA Southern, 2015-16 and President of Southern Tennis Foundation 2017-18.

• USTA Community Tennis Association Committee Chair, 2009-14.

• USTA Council Chair, 2015-16 and USTA Section Delegates Chair, 2018.

• USTA Coordinator, Advisory Group on Committees 2017-18 and 2021-22, USTA Nominating Committee, 2019-20.

• Awards include Racquet Sports Industry magazine Champions of Tennis – Tennis Advocate of the Year, USTA Barbara Williams Leadership Award, USTA Major Wingfield Historical Society, USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl, USTA Southern Charlie Morris Service Award, USTA Southern President’s Award, USTA North Carolina President’s Award, and North Carolina Order of the Long Pine (highest honor for North Carolina citizens.

‍

‍

Bill Ozaki, Georgia, 2023

Bill Ozaki’s 30-year focus on Southern junior players earned him the title of “Mr. Junior Tennis” by Southern Hall of Fame inductee Mary Hatfield.

Ozaki led a tightknit, three-person junior department at USTA Southern for more than a decade. Along with Hatfield, who handled Junior Team Tennis and TennisLink (a tournament online technology), Ozaki was assisted by Sandy Hastings.

Ozaki, Hatfield, and Hastings held weekly staff meetings on Wednesday at Ozaki’s favorite restaurant: JR’s in Peachtree Corners, Ga. All Southern staff were invited, especially (former USTA Southern Executive Director and COO) John Callen as he would pick up the check!

Hastings nominated Ozaki for his Southern Tennis Hall of Fame induction. Here is what Hastings wrote: “A parent once told me, ‘Bill would not ask a player if they won or lost, but how did they play today.’ “

According to Hatfield, Ozaki was “a junior players’ advocate, with attention to inclusion, quality development, and teaching of life skills. As a colleague, he was professional, thoughtful, fair, and FUN. If you want to know where to eat, ask Bill.”

The Southern Junior Sportsmanship was renamed for Ozaki in 2017. Upon his retirement in 2019, the award was renamed the Ozaki-Hastings Junior Sportsmanship Award.

Ozaki is the first inductee of Asian heritage into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame.

‍

Ozaki, a resident of Cherry Log, Ga., said, “One of the highlights of my career was working with Sandy, Mary, John, and the Southern staff. Every day with them was extraordinary and always enjoyable, even when we tackled difficult items such as QuickStart, PPR, and designated tournaments, to name a few. They were the ultimate professionals and friends. When I started, we had about 5,000 tournament and JTT players. That number grew to more than 48,000.”

Ozaki started as a junior player in southeast Georgia and won the 1970 Class A High School singles championship. After a work accident curtailed his college career at Dekalb College, he taught tennis for about 16 years, including eight years as head pro at Hidden Hills Country Club in Stone Mountain, Ga. It was there he got to know Callen, who hired him as a USTA Southern staffer in 1989.

Ozaki was a volunteer with USTA Southern serving as a state, sectional, and national NTRP verifier and adult ranking chair for Southern men’s 25, 30, and 35 age groups.

After two years coordinating USTA Adult League development in the South, Ozaki moved over to the junior side. Other than two years during which he worked in the USTA Player Development Department, Ozaki has spent his career piloting Southern’s growing and successful junior tournaments with skill and devotion.

During those three decades, Ozaki watched as a string of highly successful pros – from Chanda Rubin to Brian Vahaly to Melanie Oudin to Robby Ginepri and most recently Coco Gauff, Tennys Sandgren, Tommy Paul, Catherine Harrison, and Christopher Eubanks – all emerged from the USTA Southern junior circuit. Grace Min, a native Georgian pro, especially benefitted from Ozaki’s guidance.

In addition to heading up a three-person junior department, Ozaki also supervised the section’s program staff and 11 tennis service representatives. He also served as Georgia Professional Tennis Association President.

Former USTA Southern President and CEO Bonnie Vandegrift said upon his retirement, “Bill Ozaki has been a staple to Southern tennis for 30 years and he will be sorely missed. Bill is so well respected for his knowledge of and commitment to junior tennis across the country by players, staff, parents, and volunteers alike. Year after year we hear stories from our junior players about the positive impact he has had on their lives.”

Ozaki has been married to his wife, Bonnie, for 49 years and has four children – Brian, Kyle, Dale, and Megan – along with six grandchildren.

Highlights:

• 16-year career as teaching pro at Hidden Hills Country Club.

• 30-year worked as USTA Southern/USTA employee.

• USTA Southern reached 48,931 junior players in 2010.

• Teamed with Eric Voges and Mary Lou Hambrick to establish the Southern Junior Cup team competition.

• Southern Junior Cup renamed the Southern Ozaki Junior Cup in 2019.

• USTA Southern Junior Sportsmanship award renamed for Bill Ozaki. Later it was changed to the USTA Southern Ozaki-Hastings Junior Sportsmanship Award.

• Inducted in the USTA Georgia Hall of Fame in 2019.

• Given the USTA Georgia Ruth Lay Award in 2020.

‍

Andy Andrews, North Carolina, 2022

Alexander Boyd Andrews IV is best known to the global and American tennis community as Andy. A Raleigh, N.C., native, Andrews, 62, is renowned for his playing ability and service to the USTA and Southern tennis.

In the early 1980s, he began compiling a list of ATP Tour achievements that remain a shining example of tennis prowess. He reached No. 32 in the world in doubles and No. 78 in the world in singles while competing in all four Grand Slam tournaments in singles and doubles. He won three doubles titles in 1982 and reached the Australian Open doubles final. In two of the titles and in the Australian Open, he teamed up with fellow North Carolinian and Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee John Sadri. The following year he and Sadri reached the US Open semifinals. Injuries would cut Andrews’ career short after just five years.

In his 2016 induction video for the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, Andrews said, “I will never forget that feeling of walking out on that court (at the Australian Open). It’s hard to explain but that’s the pinnacle of all the things in your life that you’ve run up to, having a dream. So, dreams do come true.”

Prior to turning pro, he had an outstanding career at North Carolina State. Andrews was a two-time All-American and won five individual ACC titles and two team ACC titles. Recognized as one of the top 50 ACC tennis players during a 50-year span, Andrews won a National Interscholastic doubles champion Gold Ball and a Silver Ball in national 21 and under competition.

After professional tennis, Andrews entered the real estate world and in 2006 founded Dominion Realty Partners, LLC, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., where today he serves as Chairman and CEO. DRP is located in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina 12 cities and has developed over $2.6 billion dollars of green-certified vertical developments. Since 2016 DRP has created over 38,600 jobs working on developments at an average salary of $24 per hour.

In addition to the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, Andrews also was inducted into the George Whitfield Hall of Fame. In 2009, he received the North Carolina Mary Milam Lifetime Tennis Achievement Award and, in 2011, he received the North Carolina Tennis Association President’s Award.

He was nominated by former USTA Southern President & CEO Bonnie Vandegrift. Supporting letters came from two past USTA Presidents – Lucy Garvin and Katrina Adams – among others.

Highlights of Andrews’ service to the USTA and the tennis community include:

Leading a capital campaign that raised $1.6 million to build the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center on his alma mater’s campus.

Heading a capital campaign that raised $1.7 million to build the USTA North Carolina office and North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame.

Serving as two-time Raleigh (N.C.) Racquet Club President.

Serving as USTA Southern Secretary and Director At Large.

Serving on the USTA Varsity Collegiate, Junior Competition, and Foundation Advisory committees.

Serving on the boards of the Southern Tennis Foundation and North Carolina Tennis Foundation.

Serving as a member of the Adult Tennis Council.

Starting in 2013, serving as a USTA Board member.

Elected as USTA First Vice President, 2015-16. Although he was nominated to serve as Chairman of the Board and President, he declined to spend time with his daughter, Rhyne, who later passed away from cancer.

Another assignment that illustrated Andrews stepping up to further American tennis came when he accepted the volunteer role of Chairman of USTA Major Construction. The USTA’s goal was to realize the plans begun under our Southern Tennis Hall of Fame member Garvin’s tenure. He volunteered his time and talents to oversee the renovation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the renovation on the Lindner Family Tennis Stadium (used for the Western & Southern Open near Cincinnati, Ohio), and the creation of the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Fla. all totaling a $1 billion price tag.

Andrews and his wife, Carol, live in Raleigh and have one son, Alex.

Highlights:

• Reached No. 32 in the world in doubles and No. 78 in singles.

• He won three ATP Tour doubles titles in 1982.

• Played in the 1982 Australian Open doubles final and reached the 1983 US Open semifinals, both with North Carolinian John Sadri.

• Headed two committees that raised more than $3.3 million for North Carolina projects.

• Served as USTA Southern Secretary and Board Director At Large.

• Served as USTA First Vice President, nominated to post of USTA Chairman of the Board & President but declined for family reasons.

• Oversaw the renovation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the renovation of the Cincinnati tennis stadium and the creation of the USTA National Campus, Lake Nona, Fla. all totaling a $1 billion price tag.

‍

Jorge Andrew, South Carolina, 2022

There are probably not many tennis players in the Lexington/Columbia, S.C., area who haven’t had the pleasure of working with Jorge Andrew.

Connecting with people comes naturally to the native of Caracas, Venezuela. Andrew is the longtime Director of Tennis for the Lexington County Recreation & Aging Commission. He manages two large facilities: the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center (30 courts) and Lexington County Tennis Complex (21 courts). Both facilities host major national, sectional, and state junior, adult, and ITF tournaments.

Andrew, 69, played on the ATP Tour for more than 10 years and was ranked No. 61 in singles and No. 69 in doubles. His career spanned three decades, from 1968 to 1982. He had singles wins over Rod Laver, Guillermo Vilas, Dick Stockton, and Raul Ramirez. The Davis Cup was one of his passions and he played for Venezuela for 18 years, serving as captain for two years.

He was one of the original eight PTR International Master Professionals in 1999 and reached the USPTA Master Professional in 2003. He is the second person in the world to attain the highest level in both teaching organizations. In addition to serving as the Professional Tennis Registry President from 2012-15 and USPTA Southern Secretary/Treasurer 2004-08, he received the following awards: 1991 PTR Professional of the Year, 2003 USPTA Southern Pro of the Year, and South Carolina PTR and USPTA Pro of the Year (twice).

Andrew’s long list of USTA volunteer accomplishments include:

USTA Southern Diversity and Inclusion Committee, 2019-present

USTA Local Play & Competition Committee, 2021-22

USTA Nominating Committee, 2019-20

Chair and Vice-Chair of USTA Southern Tennis Pro Committee, 2014-18

USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis Committee, 2013-18

USTA Local Play & Competition Committee, 2015-18

USTA Hispanic Task Force, 2015-18

Vice-Chair of USTA Junior Team Tennis Committee, 2013-18

USTA Davis Cup, Fed Cup, and International Committee, 2011-13

USTA Nominating Committee, 2009-10

USTA Hispanic Participation Task Force, 2007-08

USTA Tennis in The Public Parks Committee, 2005-08

USTA Southern Junior Competition Committee, 2003-05

Among his many awards, one is most prominent: the 2016 International Hall of Fame Education Merit Award. Additionally, he received the 2009 Tennis Industry Association Service Award and the 2008 USTA South Carolina Lucy Garvin Volunteer of the Year award.

He is being inducted into his fourth Hall of Fame, as he is currently a member of the USTA South Carolina Hall of Fame (2012), Texas A&M at Corpus Christi Hall of Fame (2016), and USPTA Southern Hall of Fame (2019).

Former USTA Southern President and Southern Tennis Hall of Fame member Rex Maynard wrote, “You’ll find he checks every box of the criteria for selection, ‘Accomplishments in tennis as a player, coach, tournament official, teaching pro, administrator, or volunteer,’ I doubt there are many others who can say they have done all of this.”

Andrew and his wife, Ana, live in West Columbia, S.C., and have two sons, Juan, a firefighter, and Rodrigo, a PTR and USPTA Certified Tennis Professional.

Highlights:

• Ranked No. 61 In singles and No. 69 in doubles in the world with singles victories over Rod Laver, Guillermo Vilas, Dick Stockton, and Raul Ramirez.

• Played Davis Cup for Venezuela for 18 years, serving as captain for two years.

• Inducted into his fourth Hall of Fame.

• Awarded the International Hall of Fame Education Merit Award (2016) and the 2009 Tennis Industry Association Service Award.

• Longtime Director of Tennis for the Lexington County Recreation & Aging Commission.

• One of the original eight PTR International Master Professionals in 1999 and reached the USPTA Master Professional in 2003.

• Served as the Professional Tennis Registry President, 2012-15.

‍

Mike McNulty, Louisiana, 2021

While the McNulty family has served tennis for decades, its service will rise to new heights as Mike McNulty was elected as USTA Chairman of the Board and President for the 2021-22 term.

The influence of the McNulty family in Southern tennis is reflected in the fact that the USTA Southern Family of the Year award is named for Mickey McNulty, his father. The family, whose roots go back to Lake Charles, La., has been instrumental in promoting tennis on the local, state, sectional, and national levels.

Mickey was the USTA Louisiana President and influenced Mike to get involved in volunteering. Mike remembered his dad saying, “I think you can make a difference. You will make friends for a lifetime.’ Well, truer words have never been said. I’m so glad I followed his advice and got involved.”

Mike said, “In the early 80s, Bill Phillips (USTA Southern Tennis Service Representative, Louisiana) helped us get the Lake Area Community Tennis Association organized.”

Serving was also instrumental for the father and son duo, who won the Louisiana Father/Son title. Mike remembers that tournament fondly. “It was played in Jeanerette, about a mile from a sugar refinery that was a tournament sponsor. As winners, we didn’t receive a trophy. We received a pound bag of sugar. I kept it on my desk for years, a fond memory of that victory. One day, 15 years later, I went into my office and the bag was surrounded by ants. That was the end of that bag!”

McNulty was a longtime volunteer with USTA Louisiana, where he served as President. He is a member of the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame and recipient of the President’s Award. His family is the recipient of the USTA Louisiana Mickey McNulty Family of the Year Award. He is the founder of the Lake Area Community Tennis Association.

McNulty has a long history of volunteerism at USTA Southern. He served as President, Executive Vice President, Vice President, and member of the Board of Directors of USTA Southern and as Section Delegate to the USTA. He served three consecutive terms as Chair of the Constitution and Rules Committee, Chair of the Nominating Committee, and Board Liaison to multiple committees.

He is the 2012 recipient of the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl, the most prestigious volunteer service award given by the Section. Mickey also received the award in 2001. The younger McNulty was honored with the Charlie B. Morris Service Award in 2015 and the President’s Award. He served as Chair of the Southern Tennis Foundation. He is former Tournament Chairman of the Truist Atlanta Open, a US Open Series tournament, and served multiple terms on the Tournament Steering Committee.

2016 Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Rex Maynard said, “Mike is a great friend, and an even greater person and USTA volunteer, and I’m excited to have him join us in the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame. He knows tennis at every level…from his days in Lake Charles, to his work and leadership in Louisiana, followed by his many accomplishments at Southern, and now his work and contributions at the national level. When we were struggling financially during the early years of the Truist Atlanta Open pro tournament, he spearheaded to move to Atlantic Station, which was the key to attracting more sponsors and exposure. That turned the tournament around from a fan and financial standpoint. No question, he’s the right guy at the right time to become the USTA President, and he makes all of us in the Southern Section proud!”

On the national level, he began serving his first two-year term as First Vice President of the USTA and his third consecutive two-year term on the USTA Board of Directors in January 2019. He has served as chair of the Strategic and Creative Planning Committee and as Board Liaison to the Adult Tennis Leadership Council. He has also been a member of the Budget Committee, International Tennis Committee, and the ITF Constitution Committee. In addition, he served two consecutive terms on the Nominating Committee and the Constitution and Rules Committee, where he was Vice Chair, and was Council Chair to Tennis Rules and Regulations, and the Advisory Group on Committees.

In anticipation of being elected to the USTA helm, McNulty spoke about his plans for the upcoming USTA term. “Parks and rec is going to be my focus. Seventy percent of tennis is played in the parks, and we need to maximize their impact. We need to deliver great programing in an area where tennis participation can grow. You have to provide great customer service in this area. Our Net Generation kids will go from learning tennis in the schools to playing in parks.” He also highlighted the need to further the mission of Tennis Industry United and continue to reach out to the entire tennis community.

McNulty was a partner with the law firm of Plauche Smith & Nieset, LLC. He has subsequently taken Of Counsel status and is considered one of America’s top attorneys in insurance defense with specialties in construction and products liability. He served as Delegate to the Louisiana Bar Association, Director to the Louisiana Association of Defense Council, and President of the St. Mary Parish Bar Association. He is a certified mediator and arbitrator. He has been named to the Best Lawyers in America-Insurance Law and Personal Injury and Best Lawyers in Louisiana.

McNulty and his wife, Mary, reside in New Orleans.

Highlights

• Elected as USTA First Vice President for the 2019-20 term.

• Elected as USTA Southern President in 2011. Also served as Southern Tennis Foundation Chair and as Section Delegate to the USTA.

• Served as USTA Louisiana President.

• Inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame.

• Chaired the Truist Atlanta Open Tournament Committee (called the BB&T Atlanta Open at that time).

• Honored with the following USTA Southern awards: Jacobs Bowl, the Charlie B. Morris Service Award, and the President’s Award.

• His family is the recipient of the USTA Louisiana Mickey McNulty Family of the Year Award.

• Winner of the Louisiana Father/Son Championship with his father, Mickey.

• Named to the Best Lawyers in America-Insurance Law and Personal Injury and Best Lawyers in Louisiana.

‍

Susan Sloane, Kentucky, 2021

Susan Sloane’s journey to the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame was four decades in the making. And it all began with a love for the game.

“I became obsessed with it,” said Sloane, of Lexington, Ky. “It was just this tennis connection. I was lucky enough to have the talent and I wanted to play all the time.”

“I had an unusual story,” she said. “No one in my family had any tennis background. They didn’t know how to keep score. They didn’t have their own agenda and we had to listen to people who knew what they were talking about. My older sister played other sports and decided to go out for Tares Creek High School tennis team. That’s when I was introduced to tennis.”

Saying she got lucky, Sloane added, “I think it was meant for me to play. The Lexington Tennis Club was two miles away.” There she came under the tutelage of coach Fritz Nau.

Nau, who has been developing top-level tennis juniors for decades, said, “If it wasn’t for Susan, I wouldn’t be a tennis coach.” He added that he was a basketball player and coach in Lexington but was looking to expand his involvement in other sports. “Susan was so good that everyone in tennis thought I knew what I was talking about.”

“In the first time I coached her, she was six years old. She hit a ball into the net, and I told her not to do that. Then, she didn’t miss a ball for an hour and a half. Within six months, she was practicing two to three hours a day. She was so good mentally. The best player I ever coached.”

Sloane remembers not winning her first trip to the Kentucky State Championship. Then again, she was only in the fifth grade! She did capture three straight titles the next three years, from 1983-85. Skyrocketing up the Southern rankings, she reached No. 1 in the 12s for two years when she was 9 years old and played in the national championship.

Beginning with her victory in the 1981 12s National Indoors, a rivalry grew between Sloane and Mary Joe Fernandez – the former No. 4, Fed Cup captain, and current broadcaster – that would continue through their junior and pro careers.

“I was super competitive, and she was, too,” Sloane explained.

Other junior national titles for the Kentuckian were the 1982 12s Clay Court, 1984 14s and 16s Indoor, and the 1985 18s Hard Court.

She lived at the acclaimed Bollettieri IMG Academy for more than two years. She also was coached by Dennis Emery, the longtime men’s tennis coach at the University of Kentucky. “I worked one-on-one (with Emery) and practiced with the guys,’” she said, referring to the men’s players.

Emery recalled, “I worked with Susan from age 16 to 21. During that time, she went from 130 in the world to top 20 for three straight years. During that period, we would work four to five hours a day. It was a heavy workload because Susan had the best mind I had ever seen. Her ability to focus intently for long periods of time was almost superhuman. It was what made her great. Her mind was her best weapon.”

In 1986, Sloane did what many highly rated girls did: She went pro. “I was ranked No. 3 in 18s and Mary Joe was No. 2. We all turned pro at basically the same time. If you weren’t ready to turn pro at 17, you missed your opportunity. It’s a great thing for girls now to be able to go to college and that gives them a lot more time to mature.”

In 1988, she won a WTA title at the Virginia Slims of Nashville. She reached No. 19 in 1989. Also, she advanced to the round of 32 four times in Grand Slams in 1988-89.

“I always loved the US Open, New York and staying in the city,” she said of her pro career. “Chris Evert was always the player I looked up to.

“In at least two matches, I came back from being way down,” she said. “In New Orleans. I was down 5-1, 40-15 came back and won that way in the French Open first round, too. Even if you’re 99 percent out of the match, it shows that you’re never really out of it. That’s where tennis is such a mental game. It makes you have to finish out the match.”

Sloane owned and operated the Kentucky Tennis Academy from 1995-2002, coaching multiple competitive junior players as well as teaching adults.

“I’ve ebbed and flowed with teaching,” she said. “Also, I’ve stayed home with my kids. Now I’m a full-time realtor.” She currently teaches at the new Top Seed Tennis Club in Nicholasville, Ky., and runs numerous top-level junior tournaments at the facility.

Sloane was inducted into the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.

Highlights of Susan Sloane’s achievements:

• Captured three Kentucky high school singles titles from sixth through eighth grades.

• 1 in USTA Southern girls’ 12s at the ages of 9 and 10.

• Winner of five USTA national girls’ titles.

• Trained at the Bollettieri IMG Academy.

• Won the 1988 WTA Virginia Slims of Nashville singles title.

• Reached No. 19 in the world in 1989.

• Inducted into the Kentucky Tennis and Kentucky Athletic halls of fame.

• Owned the Kentucky Tennis Academy.

• Teaches at the Top Seed Tennis Club.

‍

Jaime Kaplan, Georgia, 2020

Jaime Kaplan made news on the tennis court at the age of 9.

Her hometown of Macon, Ga., was hosting a pro tennis tournament and there were lots of ball boys, but only one ball girl. “The newspaper caption called me a ‘breakthrough for women’s lib,” she laughed and said in a 2014 interview.

“I wanted to be a tennis pro since the first time I picked up a racquet. Some kids want to be a doctor or a lawyer. There was never a question in my mind.”

Kaplan made that dream come true in 1983 when she began her seven-year career on the WTA Tour.

Kaplan’s prominence cuts across many of the connecting fibers of Macon tennis, starting with her junior career. From 1971-80, she was ranked No. 1 singles and doubles in USTA Southern and Georgia 13 times, competing in the Girls’ 10s through Women’s Open. At Stratford Academy, she was a three-time high school state champion in basketball as an All-State and All-Star player.

She didn’t do too bad in tennis, either, going undefeated in singles and doubles (156-0) throughout her five-year career. Kaplan received Stratford’s 1979 Best Senior Athlete award and was named the 1977 Amateur Athlete of the Year presented by the Macon Sports Hall of Fame as a sophomore. She was nominated as Best Athlete of the Decade by The Macon Telegraph, eight years after they ran that photo of her as a ball person.

Four decades later, the academy’s tennis center was named after Kaplan. The Jaime Kaplan Tennis Center has served as the site of the Macon Pro Circuit tournament as well as several state, sectional, and national tournaments. She had an outstanding collegiate career, winning the SEC doubles title at the University of Georgia in 1981. Next stop was Florida State, where she was a singles champion and two-time doubles titlist in the Metro Conference. She was the first FSU player to qualify for the NCAA championships.

Over the next seven years, Kaplan appeared in 14 Grand Slam tournaments including five times at Wimbledon. In 1988 she reached the Wimbledon round of 16 in mixed doubles. She won five WTA doubles crowns, teaming with Jill Hetherington for her biggest victory and with Iva Budarova defeated two top 10 singles players in doubles, the Maleeva sisters, Katerina and Manuela.

Kaplan’s highest rankings were No. 91 in doubles and No. 252 in singles until a knee injury at Wimbledon cut short her career in 1989.

Randy Stephens, a former USTA Southern President who was inducted into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014, said, “Jaime Kaplan’s accomplishments and contributions to tennis cross a wide spectrum.  In addition to an outstanding junior and collegiate career, she played professional tennis at the highest level. After her playing career, she worked as a successful teaching professional and is one of the most successful high school coaches in the history of Georgia tennis.

“After becoming the head tennis coach at Stratford in 2005, her no-cut tennis teams have won 46 area/region titles and 17 state championships,” Stephens continued. “Also, she developed a celebrity golf tournament that has raised over $9,000,000 for local charities in Middle Georgia over the past 30 years. Her influence through tennis in Macon is unmatched. She is a shining star in our community.”

Over the past 30 years, she serves or has served on over a dozen nonprofit boards and in 2011 filled an unexpired term for six months on Macon’s City Council.

Kaplan has battled numerous injuries and surgeries. But, in 2009, she faced her biggest hurdle. She was diagnosed with extramedullary acute myeloid leukemia (AML). She cited the support of her high school players as helping her recover. Kaplan has served as Stratford’s head tennis coach from 2005 to present.

She is the former Alumni Director and Major Gifts Coordinator for Stratford. Currently, she is the Director of Philanthropy at United Way of Central Georgia and Manager of the Five Star Kevin Brown Russell Henley Celebrity Classic.

A notable volunteer honor – the USTA Eve Kraft Award – came her way in 2008. “Eve Kraft was a dedicated community tennis pioneer who was the original architect of how to grow the game at the grassroots level, making tennis accessible for anyone who wants to play,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, USTA National Campus. “Jaime Kaplan is a passionate, hands-on volunteer. She’s cut from the same cloth as Eve, and we are proud to honor her with this award.”

Her honors and accomplishments include:

• Reached world rankings of No. 91 in doubles and No. 252 in singles.

• Won five WTA doubles crowns.

• Went undefeated in singles and doubles in five years of high school play.

• Previously inducted into four halls of fame: USTA Georgia Tennis (2006), Georgia Sports (2005), Macon Sports (2001), and Stratford Academy Athletic (2004).

• Won the SEC doubles title at the University of Georgia in 1981.

• Metro Conference 1983 singles champion and two-time doubles titlist while playing at Florida State.

• Ranked No. 1 singles and doubles in USTA Southern and Georgia 13 times.

• Honored with the USTA Eve Kraft Award in 2008.

• Stratford Academy’s tennis center is named the Jaime Kaplan Tennis Center.

‍

Lenny Simpson, North Carolina, 2020

Lendward “Lenny” Simpson was first introduced to the game of tennis at age 5. His parents’ backyard backed up to the property of Dr. Hubert and Celeste Eaton, a local physician who lived in a two-story home with a spacious property of about five acres. The property featured a pool, three-car garage and, most notably, a first-class clay tennis court. The Eaton’s’ property was known locally as the “Black Country Club.” During the Jim Crow era, many local parks were for whites only. Even the one park designated for blacks had whites-only tennis courts. The Eaton’s’ court was the only court available to blacks, and then only to a privileged few.

Simpson’s introduction to this court came via a friend and next-door neighbor, Nathaniel Jackson. A 20-time ATA national champion, Jackson escorted Simpson onto the property through the big side gates and introduced him to world champion Althea Gibson. The first thing Gibson said to him was, “Hello, Champ. What took you so long?” then handed Simpson his first tennis racquet. He hit off the backboard for the next two years with Gibson and Jackson at his side each day after they finished playing. Simpson was told that, to be a champion, he had to “beat the backboard” and to this very day, is still trying to beat that backboard.

In 1957, Simpson played in his first tournament at age 8 and won the 11 & Under Doubles. At age 9, recommended by Gibson, Jackson, and Eaton, Simpson attended Dr. Walter “Whirlwind” Johnson’s predominately black American Tennis Association (ATA) Junior Development Team to develop his tennis talents. He traveled all over the country, from Chattanooga to Connecticut, becoming one of the top juniors in the ATA and then the USTA. A young Arthur Ashe was also on the team, living through countless nights when they struggled to find accommodations in the South and ended up staying in segregated YMCAs. Sometimes, they drove through the night to a tournament for which they qualified only to be told they could not play. Being five years younger than Ashe, Simpson was placed under the watch of the future world champion, forming a brotherly bond that would last the rest of their lives.

Partnered at age 9 with Bonnie Logan in mixed doubles, the pair never lost a match and won several ATA titles. “I’ve seen all the greats,” Logan said. “None of them have the kind of spring movement in their legs that Lendward had – and that includes Roger Federer. He was just so quick to the net.”

This ability helped Simpson receive an academic and athletic scholarship to attend two of the best prep schools in the country: Hill School in Pennsylvania and Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. There he won the National Prep School Championships and was on the “Who’s-Who” list in America for tennis, soccer, and basketball. Simpson was the ATA National Boys’ singles & Men’s doubles champion from 1964-67. With his doubles partner, Luis Glass, Simpson was in the top 10 of every age group in singles and doubles from the 10s to 18s at the Boys’ National Championships in Kalamazoo, MI, and Chattanooga, TN. With their success in doubles, both Simpson and Glass were nominated for the US Junior Davis Cup Team. Simpson was selected as the No. 1 player to represent North Carolina in a rivalry North Carolina vs South Carolina team event, during which he defeated Peyton Watson in three sets. Simpson won several states; championships in the North and in the South in singles and doubles before defeating Dick Stockton in the Eastern Boys’ Championships in Forest Hills, N.Y., to qualify for the US Nationals.

In 1964, at the age of 15, Simpson played his first of three consecutive US National Championships, known today as the US Open. He was, at the time and for some 40 years following, the youngest male to play in the prestigious tournament although it was barely noted. Winning his first round, he advanced into the second round to discover his opponent was Ashe, his mentor, coach, and hero in the ATA and USTA.

Simpson accepted an academic and athletic scholarship to East Tennessee State University where he played from 1968-72 and won four ATA mixed-doubles titles while double-majoring in Psychology and Physical Education and earning the ETSU “Who’s-Who” in America in tennis and basketball. Simpson was a quarterfinalist in one NCAA tournament and played No. 1 in singles and doubles all through his college career. He was Ohio Valley Conference champion in singles and doubles and coached the team in 1972-73. In 1973, Simpson married JoAnn and the couple moved to West Bloomfield, MI. They had two daughters, Celeste and Jennifer, both earning academic and athletic scholarships to Division schools. Simpson was the Director of Tennis at the Square Lake Racquet Club in West Bloomfield and helped run the Michigan Junior Development Program. Simpson turned pro in 1974 and was the first black player to play World Team Tennis, playing for the Detroit Loves. The team included Rosie Casals, Phil Dent, Allan Stone, Butch Seewagen, and Trish Faulkner.

Simpson has produced over 65 exhibition matches and events with the first featuring Billie Jean King and Hana Mandlíková in 1980. Matches included top players Serena Williams, John McEnroe, Todd Martin, James Blake, Zina Garrison, Martina Navratilova, Chandra Rubin, Katrina Adams, Caroline Wozniacki, the Bryan brothers, Andy Roddick, John Isner, and many others. It was the 2012 Azalea Festival that brought him back to Wilmington, N.C., for an exhibition match with John McEnroe, Todd Martin, Rubin, and Katrina Adams, the largest event on the city’s social calendar. Invited to be a special Celebrity and sit in a VIP section along the 3rd Street parade route, he reflected that as a young boy sitting on the curb in hopes of catching a piece of candy during the parade, where he was called every derogatory name in the book. Now he would soon be sitting where he never felt welcomed before. Perhaps the world had changed enough that it was time to return to Wilmington to make a difference in his hometown community, to give an opportunity and hope to at-risk kids, just like Eaton and Gibson did for him so many years ago.

2013 saw the founding of the Lenny Simpson Tennis & Education Fund (LSTEF), a not-for-profit focused on working with at-risk kids in Wilmington and beyond. The name stemmed from Arthur Ashe Tennis & Education Center and, as Simpson has said many times, “if it was good enough for Arthur Ashe, it was good enough for Lenny Simpson.” The primary program of the LSTEF is One Love Tennis. One Love travels to all the city centers and afterschool programs, bringing tennis instruction and an academic enrichment program to develop kids both academically and athletically after school during the school year and in the mornings during summer camps. Program participants peak at more than 550 kids a week. One Love charges nothing for its services to ensure that no child is denied the opportunity for academic support and to play the great game of tennis.

One Love started by bringing the Bryan brothers to Wilmington for an exhibition match and clinic. One Love has been honored by USTA North Carolina and USTA Southern for its Academic Enrichment program, sent a team that won the Junior Team Tennis Under 10s Nationals, was awarded the USTA North Carolina NJTL Chapter of the Year, has twice been invited to escort Fed Cup players onto the court and participate in Fed Cup Opening Ceremonies, has twice been selected to perform on-court skills demonstrations at the US Open on Opening Day and flip the ceremonial coins (three times), and was invited to sit in the President’s Suite to celebrate Arthur Ashe Kids Day at the US Open four years in a row. One Love also was invited to have front row seats at the USTA National Tennis Center for the Althea Gibson Statue unveiling ceremony. The 40 letters that One Love kids wrote in 2017 requesting recognition for Althea Gibson at the US Open helped make the statue of Althea Gibson – unveiled in 2019 – a reality. These kids will forever be a part of history.

One Love was invited to screen the acclaimed documentary film, “Althea,” by Rex Miller at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, commonly known as Wimbledon, for its exclusive membership and formed a partnership with the club’s Wimbledon Foundation and Wimbledon Learning Center to teach yearly outreach clinics for at-risk girls in England. One Love screened the film for every student in New Hanover County, N.C., in elementary, middle, and high school, both public and private. One Love brought the Breaking the Barriers Exhibit to Wilmington for display during Black History Month. Simpson has his own live morning radio show each week called “Tennis Tuesdays,” that covers the world of tennis and topics of the day, reaching a large listening audience on the air and Internet. One Love has been involved with several film projects, including the CBS Sports Network documentary “Althea & Arthur,” two USTA special documentary films and two Tennis Channel documentary films that were shown during the US Open in 2019 to accompany the unveiling of the Althea Gibson statue. One Love was featured in print media from around the world in the lead-up to and following the statue’s unveiling. For his work with One Love, Simpson has been recognized with the USTA Southern Marilyn Sherman Spirit Award, the prestigious USTA NJTL Founder’s Service Award and made the USTA Foundation’s NJTL 50th Anniversary list “50 For 50” as well as being presented with a Community Service Award by the mayor and prosecuting attorney for making the community a better place through his service to children and families in Wilmington.

Simpson has been inducted into the Cheshire Academy Hall of Fame, the Hill School Hall of Fame (for basketball), the Black Tennis Hall of Fame, the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame, and the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame. He is also featured in the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Breaking the Barriers Exhibit and has a personalized engraved paver in the Avenue of Aces walkway at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which is just outside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Perhaps the most significant accomplishment of One Love is the purchase of the former Eaton property at 1406 Orange Street in Wilmington. The historic and iconic backyard clay court had all but disappeared through years of neglect except for some fencing that indicated where the court used to be. A complete restoration saw the court reopen for use in 2019 as the “home court” for One Love kids, spawning congratulatory media coverage throughout the world of tennis. The home is being completely restored and will house the One Love offices. Gibson’s upstairs living quarters will become an Academic Enrichment Center with a stairway and observation deck leading right to the court. The Simpsons will live in the home as caretakers of the property, protecting and sharing the legacy of those who lived, trained, and played there. The property will be listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and a marker will be installed. Starting his tennis career just feet away from the 1406 Orange Street court and now acting as caretaker, teacher, and coach, just as Eaton did, brings Simpson’s story and tennis career completely full circle. As his friend, coach and mentor Ashe once said, “The way to change the world is one heart at a time, one person at a time, one child at a time.” Simpson and his wife, with the entire One Love family, are weaving their own legacy into the legacies of Eaton, Johnson, Gibson, and Ashe, to be an inspiration for the next generation of 5-year-olds who will be handed a racquet and warmly greeted, “Hello, champ.”

His accomplishments and honors include:

• Awarded the USTA NJTL Founder’s Service Award, USTA North Carolina Educational Merit Award, USTA Southern Educational Merit Award, USTA Southern Marilyn Sherman Spirit Award, USTA North Carolina NJTL Chapter of the Year, Wilmington Community Service Award, and selected for the USTA Foundation NJTL 50 For 50.

• Inducted into the Cheshire Academy Hall of Fame, the Hill School Hall of Fame (for basketball), the Black Tennis Hall of Fame, the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame, and the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame.

• Ranked top 10 nationally in every junior age group in singles & doubles.

• Captain of the Eastern Tennessee State University tennis team 1968–72 and listed in the “Who’s-Who” in America athletes in tennis and basketball.

• Ohio Valley Conference Champion in singles & doubles.

• Entered the Pro Tour in 1974 as the first African American to play World Team Tennis on the Detroit Loves.

• Served as Tennis Director for Nick Bollettieri junior and adult tennis camps.

• Founder of the Lenny Simpson Tennis & Education Fund, which includes One Love.

• Owner and caretaker of 1406 Orange St., Wilmington, N.C, the former home of Dr. Hubert Eaton.

• Lenny Simpson passed away in 2024.

‍

Jack Tuero, Louisiana, 2020

Jack Tuero had the great fortune to be a teammate of two Southern Tennis Hall of Fame members, all of whom played under another famed inductee.

That was the story of New Orleans tennis in the 1940s and 1950s.

Tuero was a member of the Tulane University Green Wave that dominated men’s tennis for decades. He played with Southern Hall of Famers Wade L. Herren and Leslie Clarke Longshore Jr. Other Tulane players who have been inducted in the hall include Crawford Henry, Hamilton F. “Ham” Richardson, Lester M. Sack, Jr., Ernest M. Sutter, and Ron Holmberg.

The guiding force of the university’s success was coach and Hall of Famer Emmett Paré, who led the men’s team from 1933 to 1973. Tulane won the program’s sole NCAA championship in 1959 and captured 18 SEC championships.

According to tennis historian Billy Crawford, while at Tulane, Tuero won 59 of 60 SEC Conference matches and lost only two more in his college career.

In 1949 he won the National Intercollegiate (NCAA) Championship in a dramatic 1-6, 0-6, 6-4, 9-7, 6-0 comeback against Sam Match of San Francisco State. Additionally, he was SEC singles champion in 1947, 1949, and 1950 and was the doubles champion in 1947 with Gleann Gardner, and in 1948-50 with Dick Mouledous.

In 1949, Tuero also won the Blue-Gray singles tournament. He captured the title again in 1951, gaining a win over Tony Trabert, who would go on to win five Grand Slam titles.

Tuero sandwiched his brilliant collegiate career between numerous successes as a junior and adult.

Tuero was born in 1926 in Waco, Tex. His father, Oscar, was a baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, pitching in 58 games. Jack lived in Memphis from 1936 to 1940 when his father was playing baseball there. The family moved to New Orleans, where Jack started playing tennis.

In 1940, he was the boys’ 15s Southern champion and national 15s runner-up. The next year he was a national finalist again in the 18s and under division. In 1943 he was Southern singles titlist in the Open division and was selected for the Junior Davis Cup team. He would win the Southern singles title again in 1948. At 17, he advanced to the U.S. National Championships, losing in the quarterfinals to the great Jack Kramer. He was the national clay court doubles champion with Ted Schroeder. He was ranked No. 1 in the section in 1943 and 1951.

The ATP shows Tuero had a 7-9 career record and reached the US Open second round in 1954.

He participated in numerous tournaments around the country with extensive success. Later he focused on serving as a teaching pro at Clubs in Beverly Hills, Calif.

His niece, 1995 Southern Hall of Fame inductee Linda Tuero, said, “I imagine that the members of the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame are familiar with the impressive tennis record of my late uncle, Jack Tuero…he was so incredibly talented, a natural athlete. I remember watching him effortlessly glide around the court, never seeming to struggle.”

Richardson recounted, “Jack had a superb backhand, slightly weaker forehand (in spite of Emmett Paré efforts!), great quickness and speed around the court, and a marvelous volleying touch. His balletic grace was a delight to watch.”

Longshore, another Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, wrote, “In the history of Southern tennis, for most of us, Bitsy Grant and Ham Richardson are our most famous players. After these two, I believe that Jack Tuero was our most talented…Jack’s friendly personality and unselfish attitude made him a positive influence on countless young players through the years.”

He was inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985.

His honors and accomplishments include:

• Won the 1949 National Intercollegiate (NCAA) Championship.

• SEC singles champion in 1947, 1949 and 1950.

• Boys’ 15s Southern champion and national 15s runner-up in 1940.

• In 1948, he was Southern singles champ and was ranked No. 1 in the section in 1943 and 1951.

• Four-time NCAA doubles champion in 1947, 1948-50.

• Had a 7-9 career in ATP matches.

• Reached the second round of the US Open in 1954.

• 1949 and 1951 Blue-Gray singles titlist.

• Inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985.

Jack Tuero passed away in 2004.

‍

Mary Hatfield, Georgia, 2019

Mary Hatfield has come full circle. She started in the USTA family as a volunteer, moved into the office as a staffer, and is now back giving her time as a committee chairman.

In all those roles – paid and unpaid – Hatfield excelled as a consummate professional.

Beginning in her local community, Hatfield made contributions on the state, sectional, and national levels.

A resident of McDonough, Ga., Hatfield spent the early part of her career in the classroom, teaching in middle school. Away from school, her volunteer energy was concentrated on developing the Macon Tennis Association’s (MTA) presence in the community. She was instrumental in focusing the MTA and other community tennis associations (CTA) on delivering a variety of tennis programs. Also, she encouraged USTA Southern to mentor CTAs.

She was the recipient of three MTA awards: the Fred Hill Community Service Award, the Official of the Year Award, and one accolade that is named for her ¬– the Mary Hatfield Spirit of Tennis Award. The Macon Convention and Visitors Bureau recognized her with two awards: the Macon Believer Award and the VIP Award.

Randy Stephens, a former USTA Southern President & CEO and 2014 Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, spoke about Hatfield’s contribution to their community: “Mary was the first paid employee of the Macon Tennis Association.  I believe she was paid $100 a week, which meant she made about 10 cents an hour!  She professionalized the way community tennis associations should be run – a true trailblazer for CTAs across the country.  Mary’s contributions to the growth of tennis in Macon were tremendous and we will always be grateful to her.  Being inducted into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame is an honor well deserved.”

Tapped to help on a statewide basis, she served on five USTA Georgia committees, chairing the USTA Adult League and Community Development committees. She served on the Board of Directors for six years, rising to President and Secretary.

In a 2014 interview, Hatfield told this story about running a junior tournament: “I remember getting reamed out by a father because we ran out of parmesan cheese. It was kind of funny because it must’ve been in the latter ’90s because he was going to send a letter to the president of the Georgia Tennis Association. I handed him my card so he would have my address … since I was the president. Then, for weeks afterwards, every time I turned around somebody was bringing me these little packages of parmesan cheese as a joke.”

Hatfield was honored with five USTA Georgia awards: Ruth Lay Award, Community Service Award, Tournament Director of the Year, League Coordinator of the Year, and Educational Merit Award.

USTA Southern also relied on her expertise. She was named to the USTA Southern Board of Directors as a Delegate at Large. She was the chair of the State Presidents and Community Development committees and served on the USTA Adult League Committee. She is the recipient of the section’s Jacobs Bowl (its highest honor), Gerrie Rothwell, and Educational Merit awards.

On the national level, Hatfield was honored with the USTA Eve Kraft Community Service Award. She has served as Community Development Chairman, along with being a member of the Junior Recreation Committee.

For 11 years, Hatfield worked in the USTA Southern junior department with Bill Ozaki and Sandy Hastings, completing a troika of veteran Southern junior experts. She retired in 2013. Originally, she was tasked with overseeing the use of TennisLink in the section. Recounting the hiring process, Hatfield said the USTA Southern Executive Board wanted Executive Director & COO John Callen “to hire somebody that would be helping our people with [TennisLink] customers, etc. and the committee told him to go find somebody. Two weeks later he called me.”

Later she was assigned to promote a program that was one of her great passions: Junior Team Tennis.

Hatfield is now hard at work again, once more as a volunteer. Based on her years of heading the program, she chaired the USTA Georgia Junior Team Tennis Committee before being named to the similar position as the USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis Committee Chairman and the Grants Subcommittee Chair. Currently she volunteers on Georgia’s Adult League Committee.

She noted, “I enjoy playing [USTA] League tennis. Since retiring I’ve served as captain of two or three teams a season. Of all the awards, the greatest accomplishment to me is the friends I’ve had the opportunity to make.”

In his nomination of Hatfield, Hastings wrote, “Off court, both professionally and personally, Mary sought to live a life of high standards and, as a result of that, in working with her, you too were held to that high standard. She was not content in achieving at a lower standard and would not settle for those who worked with her to do so either. When you sat down to discuss an issue with Mary, through her personal understanding of how to correctly address a situation and how it should be handled, you came away more knowledgeable and a better person. Her continual efforts in encouraging you to properly manage the multitude and variety of situations propelled each of us who worked with her to a higher professional level.”

Hastings’ tribute echoes many who worked with Hatfield throughout her tennis career.

• Honored with the USTA Eve Kraft Community Service Award.

• Recipient of the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl (its highest honor), Gerrie Rothwell, and Educational Merit awards.

• Honored with five USTA Georgia awards: Ruth Lay Award, Community Service Award, Tournament Director of the Year, League Coordinator of the Year, and Educational Merit Award.

• Developed the Macon Tennis Association’s presence in the community, an example of an outstanding local organization for other CTAs in the country.

• Named to the USTA Southern Board of Directors as a Delegate at Large.

• Chaired the USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis Committee Chairman, USTA Southern Grants Subcommittee, and the USTA Georgia Junior Team Tennis Committee.

• For 11 years, Hatfield worked in the USTA Southern junior department as the Manager of Junior Team Tennis & TennisLink.

‍

Gordon A. Smith, Georgia, 2019

The pinnacle of Gordon Smith’s leadership at the top of the USTA national staff may be the complete transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, including two roofed stadiums. As USTA Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Smith also oversaw the construction of 100 courts and the nation’s largest and most advanced tennis facility at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. However, the many building blocks that led him to an outstanding career in tennis were in place decades earlier.

A native of Brevard, N.C., Smith grew up in Rome, Ga., honing his game by playing on some courts that didn’t have fences. By the time he attended Darlington School, he was on the path to being state high school champion and the top ranked junior in the State in singles and doubles.

His next step to tennis glory led to the University of Georgia, where he played under legendary coach and 1981 Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Dan Magill. During Smith’s four years at UGA, from 1972-75, the Bulldogs were four-time SEC champions. He served as captain and was a two-time All-SEC selection. As a senior, he also captured the conference #1 doubles title with current UGA coach Manny Diaz.

Smith stayed at the University and earned his Juris Doctorate with honors from the Georgia Law School. His accomplishments at, and beyond, UGA were showcased in 2014 when he received the Bill Hartman Award, which recognizes former University of Georgia student-athletes who have demonstrated excellence in their profession and/or in service to others for 20 or more years of superior performance after graduation.

While working as an attorney in Atlanta, Smith rose to senior partner of King & Spalding, which was cited as one of the top 50 law firms in the world. Former USTA Southern President Mike McNulty noted in his nomination of Smith that he was a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, recognized in multiple editions of “The Best Lawyers in America,” and named in a variety of listings including Who’s Who Legal, Chambers and Partners, and Georgia Super Lawyers, among others.

Smith kept his hand in the game and volunteered at USTA Southern for two decades, receiving the Jacobs Bowl as the Southern Section’s outstanding volunteer in 1995. He served as USTA Southern’s counsel for many years and served on multiple committees before rising through positions on the Board of Directors. In 2003, Smith was elected President of the Southern Section. He also served multiple terms as a Trustee of the Southern Tennis Foundation.

Smith’s recognition soon ranged far beyond the South as he volunteered on USTA committees, including the Budget, Compensation, Public Affairs, and Strategic Planning Committees. He served as Chair of the Constitution and Rules Committee and as Vice Chair of the Grievance Committee. He became a Director at Large on the USTA Board of Directors and served three years as Vice President. He also served on the USTA Tennis and Education Foundation.

He was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2010, the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012, the Rome -Floyd (Ga.) County Sports Hall of Fame, and was named a Darlington School Distinguished Alumnus in 2011.

In November 2007, Smith dove into full-time service to tennis when he accepted the post of USTA Executive Director and COO. His title of COO was elevated to CEO in early 2018.

McNulty wrote, “He has overseen the introduction and roll out of the USTA’s historic Net Generation and 10 and Under Tennis initiatives and has been at the helm for the unprecedented growth of the US Open, which has posted increasing annual attendance and revenue.” McNulty also cited the building of the USTA National Campus and the establishment of two ATP tournaments in Southern states (the BB&T Atlanta Open and the Winston-Salem Open) as extraordinary achievements.

Recent improvements to the fan-friendly atmosphere of the US Open have been roundly lauded by visitors and the media. Most notable among these USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center improvements were adding a retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium and a second retractable cover over the newly rebuilt Louis Armstrong Stadium. Among the other instant favorites are the new Grandstand, Court 17, expanded walkways, and improved dining choices.

Not all of Smith’s leadership has been about tennis courts. During his continuing tenure, the USTA has worked tirelessly to promote diversity on and off the court. Also, in an effort to expand the reach of the sport, there has been an increased focus on programs that attract juniors and young adults.

USTA Southern Executive Director John Callen noted that Smith touched so many aspects of greatness, he was an excellent player, tireless talented volunteer, outstanding lawyer, thoughtful leader, and a great family man.

In her support letter for Smith’s nomination, 2017 Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Pat Devoto wrote, “In his life as a community volunteer, no one has served in more varied posts or with more distinction than Gordon.”

There are many throughout the South who couldn’t agree more.

• Accepted the post of USTA Executive Director and COO (which was later elevated to CEO).

• Led the transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, including two roofed stadiums.

• Oversaw the construction of the nation’s largest tennis facility at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.

• Served as USTA Director at Large on the USTA Board of Directors and three years as Vice President.

• Four-time SEC champion while playing for the University of Georgia, from 1972-75, served as captain and was a two-time All-SEC selection.

• Awarded the Jacobs Bowl as the USTA Southern outstanding volunteer and elected USTA Southern President & CEO in 2003.

• Inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2010, the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Rome -Floyd (Ga.) County Sports Hall of Fame.

‍

Julie Ditty, Kentucky, 2019

Here is a little known but telling fact about Julie Ditty: She played high school tennis – in the second grade! From then on, her accomplishments grew with her.

The Kentucky resident would go on to success at the high school, college, and professional levels, finishing with a top WTA ranking of No. 89 in singles and No. 65 in doubles and earning the honor of representing her country on the U.S. Fed Cup team.

Former No. 4 player Mary Joe Fernández, who coached Ditty as Fed Cup captain, was among the advocates supporting her nomination to the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame.

Before she was a high-school star at Ashland’s Russell High School, Ditty was ranked No. 1 in the country in girls’ 14s singles. She also was No. 1 in girls’ 16s doubles and 21-and-under in women’s amateur singles. She won 12 national juniors doubles championships plus another in singles.

In high school, the three-time state champion was named Kentucky High School Female Athlete of the Year.

Ditty starred for four years with the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team, leading the squad to the school’s first-ever national championship appearance in 2001. Her 114 singles wins is the second best in Vanderbilt history. Awarded with the 1999 Tennessee Amateur Athlete of the Year and the Vanderbilt University Female Athlete of the Year, she had 31 wins in 1999, the best single season mark for a Commodore. An All-American in 1999-2001, she was named to the Academic All-SEC team and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education. In 2009, Ditty was honored with entry into the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame.

Geoff MacDonald, who coached her at Vanderbilt, wrote a first-person report when Ditty competed in a doubles match versus Serena and Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2010. “She was the first great junior player that I recruited to Vanderbilt,” MacDonald recalled. “With Julie, I also felt a pride in her for raising the level of her game in her senior year and leading a young team to the national championships.”

Starting in 1999, Ditty began a pro career that would land her a record 39 singles and doubles crowns on the USTA Pro Circuit, more than any other player. In 2005 and 2006, she racked up 12 doubles titles, then had her most successful tournament at the 2008 $75,000 Albuquerque event, where she won both singles and doubles.

She won four singles titles in USTA Southern: Raleigh, Hilton Head Island, Sea Island, and Lawrenceville, where she was runner-up twice.

Also, in 2008, she competed in the main draws of Wimbledon and the Australian and French Opens.

One of Ditty’s top accomplishments was being named to the 2009 U.S. Fed Cup team. She teamed with Liezel Huber, winning the clinching doubles match 6-2, 6-3 to defeat Argentina and send the U.S. into the semifinals.

Ditty has remained in the world of tennis after her retirement from active play. Her positions have included Middle Tennessee State University women’s assistant coach, Vanderbilt University women’s tennis volunteer coach, tennis pro at the Louisville Tennis Club, and Director of Tennis at the Bellefonte Country Club in Ashland.

Currently, she is the Director of Tennis at Idle Hour Country Club in Lexington. She serves as a USTA Kentucky Board member and Athlete Advisory Council Rep to the United States Olympic Committee. Additionally, she volunteers as the USTA Vice Chair of the USTA Davis Cup, Fed Cup and Olympic Team Events Committee. She was inducted into the USTA Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame in 2008.

“Her extensive career as a player, teacher, volunteer, and role model makes her an obvious candidate for this honor. As a player, Julie has a long list of accomplishments throughout the state, region, and nation,” noted USTA Kentucky Executive Director Jason Miller. “In addition, Julie is a dedicated teacher, coach, and volunteer. She provides countless hours of instruction, support, and leadership to USTA Kentucky and the Louisville tennis community year-round.”

There is no doubt that Ditty is among the best players to ever come out of the Bluegrass State.

• World ranking of No. 89 in singles and No. 65 in doubles.

• Won deciding doubles match in U.S. Fed Cup quarterfinals in 2009.

• Holds record with 39 singles and doubles crowns on the USTA Pro Circuit.

• Inducted into the USTA Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame in 2008 and into the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.

• Her 114 singles wins is the second best in Vanderbilt history.

• Named All-American while at Vanderbilt in 1999-2001.

• Awarded with the 1999 Tennessee Amateur Athlete of the Year and the Vanderbilt University Female Athlete of the Year.

Julie Ditty Qualls passed away in 2021 after a courageous six year battle with cancer.

‍