Tennis Mafia Grows The Game In Lincoln

A group of good friends, a shared love of tennis and a goal to create something meaningful was how the Tennis Mafia group was created back in 2017. The members of the group all played USTA tennis on a Lincoln team, but wanted more tennis in the community in a fun, social format. The main goals of the group are to organize opportunities to play tennis and to work with local facilities to grow the game. 

“The more we talked, the more we saw an opportunity to maybe help fill some gaps in our tennis community and to get more people as excited about playing as we were,” said Chris Freeman, one of the founding members. “We’ve really focused our efforts on the adult social space outside of organized leagues and sanctioned tournaments.”

One of Tennis Mafia’s most popular events is its annual Woodbledon Tournament at Woods Tennis Center in Lincoln. The social doubles tournament takes place every fall and requires everyone to play with wooden racquets, which are provided. Participants can also dress up in 1970’s attire to make it more fun. Food and beverages are provided, and there is also a silent auction and prizes as well. In 2019, the tournament filled up fast, which is evidence of its popularity.

“Adults of all ages and skill levels, encourages mixed-gender play, and raises money for the local tennis community,” said Jason McFarley, another founding member.

“Woodbledon won the 2018 and 2019 awards for Adult Tournament of the Year from Lincoln Tennis Association. USTA Nebraska honored Woodbledon with the same award in 2019. In addition, one of our members was invited to the 2018 USTA Missouri Valley annual conference to speak about Woodbledon and the work we’re doing in the adult social space.” 

Many wonder how the group came up with its unique name. Freeman said the founding members share a sarcastic, dry sense of humor and they wanted to incorporate the wise-guy mentality into their image.