St. Louis tennis community rallies following deadly EF3 tornado

An EF3 tornado ripped through St. Louis on May 16, killing five people and leaving an estimated $1 billion-plus in damage. In addition to the damage to approximately 5,000 homes and businesses, the destruction to thousands of mature trees was unbelievable. St. Louis tennis facilities were also impacted by the 150 mph winds that afternoon.

Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park sustained significant damage to the grounds, but miraculously the clubhouse was not affected and no one was hurt. Staff members got to the facility shortly after the storm to survey the damage.

Trees around the facility were uprooted, several sections of perimeter fencing were down, two large light posts were knocked down, patio furniture was broken or displaced after being blown into or over the railings, and a shed was destroyed. The tennis courts themselves seemed to have weathered the storm; however, many of the pickleball nets received damage.

Cleanup efforts began the next day once the roads into the park opened. Several USTA St. Louis staff members and a Dwight Davis Tennis Center crew worked alongside many who came out to help. Volunteers who showed up to help included players from a Dwight Davis social league and a large group from Breakpoint Tennis and Life Skills Academy.

While cleaning up debris and tree branches, volunteers discovered an injured red-tailed hawk on one of the tennis courts. They paused their work to tend to this beautiful bird that appeared to have a broken wing. The World Bird Sanctuary came to rescue the bird and help with its recuperation.

Megan Kovacs, USTA St. Louis executive director, kept the tennis community updated on progress at Dwight Davis via social media and the website.

“With so much damage across the city, we are grateful for the efforts of everyone working to respond quickly, and we remain thankful that Dwight Davis was not more severely impacted,” Kovacs said.

Less than a week after the tornado hit, Dwight Davis Tennis Center was opened again with eight of the 18 tennis courts and the pickleball courts available for play. The rebuilding process will take time and money to get the tennis center back in order.

“Your time, effort and support today meant everything to us,” Kovacs said. “We are so thankful for this community. This was a tough day, but your spirit gave us hope.”

To view additional photos from that morning that show damage to the area, click here.