Former Bay Area Tennis Pro Breaking Tennis and Community Barriers

Left: Wendy Guinn with her mother and grandmother in 1972; Right: Wendy Guinn

As part of our recognition of Black History Month, we recently featured the story of the Driver family - a Northern California tennis family that tackled many firsts in tennis and life spanning generations. 

 

The youngest member of the Driver family, it was only natural for Wendy Guinn to get involved in tennis. Following in the footsteps of her dad, who earned a tennis scholarship to play tennis at Columbia University and became the first black captain, she started playing at just nine years old after watching her two older brothers, Brad and Kyle, play. 

 

“I remembered being bored on the sidelines, so I finally asked my mom if I could play,” Wendy joked. And much like things that are worth it, she had to work for it. “My mom said, ‘When you can hit 50 balls against the wall in a row, that’s when you can play.’” 

 

This kicked off a life lesson her parents continually emphasized that goes hand-in-hand with tennis: “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose. It’s about the effort, preparation, and persistence that you put into whatever you do.”

 

Wendy (R) at 11 after winning the ATA National Championships in Berkeley

And with that, Wendy was on a mission. After meeting the challenge, she entered her first tournament. Not only did Wendy hold her own, but she won. It became clear that tennis was the right path for her, and she continued to progress over the years and made a name for herself as a highly ranked junior player with many notable accomplishments. She became a top player in not just Northern California, but also ranked No. 1 in the state by the time she was 13. Wendy also reached the top 5 nationally. 

 

However, much like her parents and far too many black athletes who preceded her, Wendy’s path was not without challenges. As one of the only black families playing tennis in the area during that time, Wendy had to work hard to earn everything she accomplished. 

 

“Because of some of the racism, my mom attended every one of my matches until I was 16,” she added. “I felt more comfortable having her there.” 

 

Despite her top rankings, it was not uncommon for Wendy to get to bigger sectional and national tournaments and be given a lower seed or not seeded at all. 

And her challenges extended to off the court too. For instance, Wilson wouldn’t give her and her brother, Brad, also a top ranked NorCal junior player, rackets despite players ranked below them receiving them. By the time she was 17, she finally ended up getting sponsored by Nike for shoes and clothing, but that too was a battle.

 

“It was a constant fight to get the representation I deserved,” said Wendy. “I credit my mom with a lot of this work. She would take on these types of fights and be our biggest supporters.”

 

Nevertheless, Wendy persevered and went on to earn a tennis scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley and garnered All-Conference honors. Wendy also competed on the USTA and pro circuit against several top-ranked professionals, including Tracy Austin, Andrea Jaeger, Pam Shriver, Zina Garrison, and Lori McNeil during her playing career.

 

And while she enjoyed competing, circuit life was not the right fit for Wendy. Growing up playing constantly with her older brother Brad, who she is close with, having her mom watch her matches, and sharing in the sport with her dad during his free time is part of what made tennis a passion for her.

 

“The joy I got from tennis is that it is what we did as a family,” added Wendy. “I missed having my family share that with me when I was traveling.”

 

Wendy then shifted her focus to her next stage in life and went on to law school at Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. 

1983: University of California, Berkeley Women’s Varsity Tennis Team

She was active in the legal profession for 20+ years with an expertise in sports law, employment/labor law, business, and real estate matters that was shaped over many years from her professional and personal experiences in the law and in sport.

 

And while she put a pause on playing tennis, she never left the sport completely. Following in the examples of her parents, who had a strong mantra of giving back and investing in people and organizations in the community, Wendy has been an active community participant to grow the game of tennis in the Bay Area for many years.

2014: Wendy with Richmond Girls 15&U

As a law student, she coached the Berkeley High Girls Tennis Team to an undefeated season. She also helped run a free youth tennis clinic in Berkeley with 50 kids on the four courts in San Pablo Park that she grew up playing on. She has personally trained several top Bay Area junior tennis players over the years. In 2006, Wendy was instrumental in initiating the Junior Team Tennis Program in the City of Berkeley. She has helped start a program to get kids involved in tennis at the grassroots level through a USTA initiative, focusing on giving the youth tennis development lessons and free lunches.

 

From 2012-16, Wendy contracted with the City of Richmond to help with youth and adult tennis instruction and programs. She planned and led an afterschool youth program incorporating tennis, academics, and nutrition counseling at Nicholl Park for 30+ kids ages 5-18, and coached girls (15 & under) and boys (18 & under) in NCTA Junior Team Tennis. In 2014, Wendy joined the Richmond Tennis Association (RTA) as a Board Member and Director of Instruction.

 

Wendy is also co-owner of Shortstop Management, LLC, a professional sports management and consulting business with her husband, Brian Guinn, a former professional baseball player with the Oakland A’s and Chicago Cubs.

Launched in 2000, their company specializes in baseball training and development, youth travel teams and camps, but also provides private fitness training and academic tutoring. Wendy’s three adult children – BJ, Trae, and Jasmin – hold management positions in the company as well.

  

And while she passed her love of tennis on to her children, who have all played at some point in their lives, the biggest lessons she has passed down are the values that her parents instilled in her: hard work, perseverance, and giving back to the community above all.

 

Wendy with her family