Hall of Fame

USTA Middle States is now accepting nominations for the Middle States Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Established in 1994, this prestigious Hall of Fame boasts 115 prior inductees, including tennis legend and women’s rights pioneer Billie Jean King, and former USTA Presidents Jane Brown Grimes, Dave Haggerty, Merv Heller, Judy Levering and Martin Tressel. 

Funds raised during the Hall of Fame celebration benefit the USTA Foundation, which is the national charitable arm of the USTA. Funds raised will be earmarked specifically for use in Middle States, benefitting programs and youth from across the section. 

CLICK HERE to learn more about the history of the Middle States Hall of Fame. 

Sally Baird

Sally Baird began as a staff member of USTA Middle States in 1996 and served as the Director of Adult Competition for the majority of her time. She started helping out with the USA League Tennis program in 1991, coordinating the senior league in Philadelphia. The following year, she began coordinating the full adult league program in the Philadelphia area. In 2022, Baird was a recipient of the Middle States Presidential Service Award. After 33 years of involvement with USTA Middle States, Baird continued to organize league tennis with Middle States as the Area League Coordinator in the Philadelphia area, continuing to drive extraordinary growth in USTA League tennis.

Becky Desmond

Becky Desmond’s dedication to tennis and her commitment to her students left an unforgettable mark on USTA Middle States. For more than half a century, Desmond’s leadership and passion for tennis led her high school teams to win 15 Ches-Mont league championships. Her legacy continues to inspire future generations, as the tennis courts at Downingtown West are named in her honor. Desmond’s involvement in the tennis community was recognized numerous times with awards such as being inducted into the Chester County Sports Hall of Fame. A longtime volunteer for Middle States and its Philadelphia area, she also received Coach of the Year honors from the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA), Middle States, and the Daily Local News.

Jim Flesch

Jim Flesch has been a tennis teaching professional for nearly 50 years. He began his USTA volunteer career in 2004 when he moved to Delaware and taught at the Delaware Tennis Center in the historic Bellevue State Park. Flesch began volunteering with the USTA Middle States Delaware District Council soon after, helping to promote and grow tennis in the state of Delaware. Flesch was a longtime member of the district council and served two terms as vice chair and chair. He held positions on the USTA Middle States Board of Directors and was the chair of the Middle States Leadership Development Committee. Most recently, Flesch was awarded the USTA National Eve Kraft Community Service Award, which honors volunteer tennis leaders for significant contributions made to tennis development in their respective communities.

Traci Green

Philadelphia native Traci Green recently finished her 17th season as the head women's tennis coach at Harvard University. Before her time at Harvard, Green coached the women's tennis team at Temple University for three years. During her junior tennis career, she was a two-time member of the US Junior National Team. Green had a successful career as a college player at the University of Florida, where she was a member of the Gators' 1998 NCAA championship team. She currently serves on the USTA Board as a Presidential Appointee, on the board of the Black Women in Sport Foundation, and as Vice Chair of the Sportsmen's Tennis and Enrichment Center.

Ora Washington

From the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Ora Washington was a trailblazer for women, Black athletes, and many more. One of the great athletes of her time, she stood out on the tennis and basketball courts. Washington dominated with speed, athleticism and an overall feel for the sport. She was described by Arthur Ashe as being one of the greatest women’s tennis players of all time. Washington won a total of 23 American Tennis Association (ATA) National Championships: eight singles, 12 doubles, and three mixed doubles titles. She held the ATA’s national crown from 1929-1936, often going years without a single loss to her record. Washington was inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame in 1976, Temple University’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1986, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.