How tennis and representation shaped Vincent Wong’s journey

He said, “Picture a gym floor full of scuffs and marks. This is just another scuff on the gym floor of life. Head up. You’re going to play for me, and we’ll win conference together.”

And he was right. 

Our junior varsity team dominated that year, won conference, and my teammates voted me most valuable player. The following year, I made varsity and went on to play first and second singles all season.

Tennis followed me into college, where I played NCAA Division III, and I graduated in 2008, right into the financial collapse. I was fortunate to find a landing zone and coached tennis at Phillips Park in Aurora, Ill., where the program was heavily subsidized and filled with an incredibly diverse group of kids from all different backgrounds. It was there that I developed an intense love for coaching and working with young people. The satisfaction and joy I found on those courts was unlike anything else. 

Now, as an adult, tennis is teaching me how to uplift others. Whether through volunteering as a coach with our nonprofit, Chicago Tennis Champions Center (CTCC), or through the connections I’ve built, tennis continues to give back in ways I never expected. In many ways, my work at CTCC scratches the coaching itch I developed all those years ago, and also gives my children an example of leadership and community service through action and commitment. 

None of it would be possible without my wife, Jessica, who not only encourages me to pursue these passion projects in tennis, but also helps keep our family organized and our lives scheduled around them. 

Growing up in the AAPI community, sports were never seen as a primary focus or necessary commitment because there was a belief that none of us would ever make it. There was, however, one exception: Michael Chang. Without Michael Chang, I’m not sure our community would have embraced tennis the way we did. 

Representation matters. 

Even as a young kid, repeatedly watching Michael win the French Open through the rewound VHS tapes my parents kept really changed the way I saw myself as an athlete. It opened the door to sports because he had done it at the absolute highest level. His success brought my family and our circle of friends into tennis, and that, in turn, gave me exposure to an entire world I might have never known.

As a board member of CTCC, I hope to carry that spirit forward and introduce this sport to even more kids. Our roots are in Bridgeport, a predominantly Chinese neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, and much of our mission has been to provide tennis lessons and clinics for those who may not have previously seen meaning or opportunity in the sport.

This week, we’re wrapping up a 16-week session with Ray Chinese School, where we provided two sessions of Red Ball Tennis classes each week to their Saturday program. Because of the program's success, we plan to bring it back during the fall semester. As a child, I attended Ray Chinese School. So the program has a special meaning and place in my heart.

Being AAPI, I understand deeply what representation means. It doesn't always mean on TV, but in your community as well. I was lucky to have great mentors and family friends who guided and encouraged me along my tennis journey. My hope is that every student I coach sees a little of themselves in me and carries with them the belief that they can achieve great things in this sport, too.