Celebrating 100 years of Route 66 through the history of tennis

Featured Individual: USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Famer Ted Drewes Sr. won the Municipal Tennis Association title 15 times and the National Public Parks singles title four straight times. He led the charge to make tennis an inclusive sport rather than a country-club one. The famous Ted Drewes Frozen Custard shop opened in 1941 along Route 66.

Springfield

Historically recognized as the birthplace of the Mother Road, the name Route 66 was proposed in 1926 through a telegram sent from Springfield. The city has an impressive musical tie-in along Route 66 that drivers can enjoy.

Featured Facility: Cooper Tennis Complex is a municipal facility with 12 indoor courts and 17 lighted outdoor courts, including a 2,500-seat stadium court. Cooper was home to a World TeamTennis franchise, the Springfield Lasers.

Carthage

Still home to the 66 Drive-In movie theater as well as the Boots Court Motel that hosted Clark Gable, the “Crossroads of America” is also home to perhaps the most unique tennis courts in the country.

Featured Facility: The Carthage Cave Courts, maintained by Underground Racquets, are tucked into a huge limestone cave that used to be a mine. Two private full-size tennis courts are located 60 feet underground. They were selected as some of the coolest courts in the U.S.

Kansas

The 13.2-mile segment of Route 66 in Kansas passes through Galena, Riverton and Baxter Springs. Galena is defined by its mining heritage and the Kan-O-Tex Service Station. Riverton has the Eisler Brothers Old Riverton Store and landmark Rainbow Bridge. Baxter Springs includes the Independent Oil and Gas Service Station and the Heritage Center & Museum.

Oklahoma

Tulsa

Often referenced as the Capital of Route 66 because much of the highway’s origins are rooted there, Tulsa has numerous Route 66 attractions including neon signs, fiberglass giants and interactive museums. The city is also home to a USTA Premier Facility in Case Tennis Center at LaFortune Park.

Featured Event: Tulsa welcomed the 50th anniversary of the North American Indian Tennis Association national championships this year, a celebration of competition and culture.

Edmond

A 7-foot-tall bright blue hippopotamus named Happy isn’t the only photo-worthy stop in central Oklahoma. Several murals, gas stations, motels and the Edmond History Museum are worth travelers’ attention as well.

Featured Facility: Edmond Center Court, a USTA Premier Facility, was the 2022 USTA Featured Facility of the Year. Edmond Center Court has 24 outdoor courts, including two stadium courts with seating, to pair with six indoor courts. The facility hosts dozens of major events each year, ranging from pro tourneys to the Rally in the Valley Championships.

Oklahoma City

A Route 66 centerpiece, Oklahoma City includes neon signs, historic concert venues and roadside diners, a Route 66 staple. The OKC Tennis Center, with its 36 tennis courts (24 outdoor, six indoor, six youth courts), is the largest public park facility in the central U.S.

Featured Event: USTA Missouri Valley had a strong presence in the largest gathering of Native American tribes in the U.S. at a 2008 powwow called Red Earth. Volunteers were honored during a ceremony at the event.

Have a favorite Route 66 stop? Let us know on social media as we travel through time with tennis as the backdrop this summer.

Route 66 Facts

• In 1926, highway leaders meeting in Springfield, Mo., named the new national highway system route that went through the area “Route 66.”

• Route 66 became the first completely paved highway.

• The 2,400-mile stretch from Chicago to Santa Monica winds through eight states, serving as a neon-lit time capsule of vintage diners and eccentric roadside wonders.

• Route 66 was promoted as the “shortest, best and most scenic highway west.”

• The highway was popularized in the 1940s song “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” by Nat King Cole.

• Route 66 was decommissioned on June 27, 1985 because it was made obsolete by the new Interstate Highway System.