Remembering Alan Schwartz: A passionate proponent of tennis

Former USTA president Alan Schwartz passed away on Dec. 2 at the age of 91. Schwartz, who served as USTA president from 2003-04, was the man who coined the USTA’s mission statement: “To promote and develop the growth of tennis.”

A graduate of Yale University where he captained the tennis team, Schwartz was an outstanding player. Post-college, he won eight national championships and seven Illinois state championships. But it was the business side of the sport where Schwartz was most impactful. In 1969, Schwartz and his father built Chicago’s Mid-Town Tennis Club (now the Mid-Town Athletic Club), which became the crown jewel in Schwartz’s hugely successful Tennis Corporation of America. At Mid-Town, Schwartz had a hand in developing innovations in teaching, such as the “Tennis in No Time” program.

What’s more, the introduction of the 4-inch baseline, indirect lighting, and a cushioned playing surface were all Mid-Town innovations.

Many USTA presidents have lived for tennis, but Schwartz was the first who made his living from tennis. In the process, he touched and enhanced countless other lives by helping to make the sport more accessible and more enjoyable for more people. 

Schwartz’s incredible list of accomplishments and accolades is far too lengthy to detail. During his USTA presidency, he played a key role in making the US Open Series a reality, hired the first master planner for the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, enhanced the financial stability of the USTA and strengthened its relationships with organizations industry-wide. 

Schwartz is enshrined in 10 different tennis Halls of Fame, including the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall, Chicago Tennis Hall of Fame, Tennis Industry Association Hall of Fame and the Midwest Tennis Hall of Fame, among others. He served as vice president of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), on various ITF committees, and with the International Tennis Hall of Fame.