Bunny Bruning ‘humbled, honored’ to receive Champion of Equality recognition

Bruning’s past is impressive, as she grew up in California before turning pro in tennis at the age of 17. A standout nine-year career on the WTA Tour during the 1970s and ‘80s followed. She competed in the main draw of all four Grand Slams, earning a runner-up finish in the Wimbledon Plate in 1976.

After her pro playing career concluded, Bruning began working as a tennis coach at Wakonda Club in Des Moines, Iowa in 1983. She’s remained there ever since and currently serves as Wakonda’s tennis director. A USPTA-certified Master Professional, Bruning helped develop Wakonda’s junior program and focuses on developing the person, athlete and then the tennis player.

She is a former USTA Iowa president, spent 15-plus years on the USPTA Missouri Valley Division board and served as president of that board. Bruning was the USPTA national vice president in 2009-2011.

Bruning volunteers for many Iowa-based organizations, including the Central Iowa Tennis Alliance that she founded in 1996. She has served as a schools trainer, works with Special Olympians, inner-city youth and wheelchair tennis players. Most recently, Bruning founded Bunny’s Buddies for athletes with Down syndrome and athletes with mental/physical challenges.

“It was amazing to me how much joy they had coming out every Friday and hitting tennis balls and also for the volunteers,” Bruning said of the Bunny’s Buddies program. “That really showed what tennis can do to people’s lives. That translated to getting this award maybe. That’s why I’m so humbled. I’m just a small part of it. And we need to keep moving forward with these types of grassroots programs.”

Bruning became the second individual from the USTA Missouri Valley recognized as a Champion of Equality, joining Kimberly Y. Hughes Gill who was honored during the inaugural 2023 event. The Champions of Equality festivities coincided with Bruning’s Sept. 5 birthday to provide her a “double celebration,” she said.

Shonda Rhimes, award-winning television creator, producer and author, was honored alongside the 16 USTA Section representatives. Rhimes was joined by tennis legend Maria Sharapova for a panel discussion moderated by esteemed broadcaster Robin Roberts. Billie Jean King and U.S. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) also spoke.

“For Billie to talk about it starts in the grassroots, that meant a lot that she recognized that,” Bruning said. “More needs to be done in the grassroots; more people need to be honored and written about. Because this is really important for the growth of tennis—the growth of diversity and marginalized groups getting into tennis.

Bruning enjoyed meeting the other USTA section honorees and running into some familiar faces from her time on the WTA tour and in coaching, including King, Leslie Allen and others. She had a blast watching US Open semifinal matches between Jessica Pegula-Karolina Muchova and Aryna Sabalenka-Emma Navarro. The messages shared by both Rhimes and King rang true with Bruning when she reflected on her time in New York.

“(Rhimes) wasn’t there to make money, make a star. She was there to write about women and their stories, and then bring in diverse characters as well,” Bruning said. “I thought that’s exactly what we do in the tennis world. We don’t go after an award. We go after promoting the sport to all people, inspiring them and bringing joy into their lives.

“ … Billie said, ‘If you don’t understand inclusion, you’ve never been excluded.’ That was a quote that many of us resonated to. That’s why inclusion is so important. Reaching out to these groups and getting them involved is so important to making our world a better place.”

To read more about the Champions of Equality event at the US Open, click here. For a roundup of the USTA Missouri Valley connections to this year’s US Open, click here. Women coaches interested in coaching resources can click here to learn more about the USTA Missouri Valley’s partnership with WeCOACH and a complimentary WeCOACH membership.