Tuskegee University's tennis team showcases HBCU on-court excellence
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are known for their academic excellence and their accomplished alumni, including many leaders in government, medicine and law, but they also have strong ties to tennis. The American Tennis Association (ATA), the first Black professional sports league in the United States, held all but six of its national championships on HBCU campuses from 1927 to 1968, and more than one-third of the 107 federally-recognized HBCUs offer varsity tennis programs. Althea Gibson, the first Black tennis player to win a Grand Slam when she claimed the Roland Garros title in 1956, played tennis at Florida A&M University before she went on to win 11 major titles across disciplines.
Tuskegee University in Alabama, founded by civil rights activist Booker T. Washington, has taught and produced the most African-American aerospace engineers in the country, but it has also made a splash in the realm of collegiate tennis.
The Golden Tigers are an NCAA Division II team, competing in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which is primarily composed of HBCUs in the region.
The teams are led by Coach Gregory Green, who coached at Tuskegee from 2000 to 2005 and returned in 2021. Last season, the men’s team had a 10-5 record and made an appearance at the SIAC championship. The season also came with honors for two players: sophomore Torain Alleyne received All-Conference honors and junior Josiah Blocus earned First Team All-SIAC and All-Tournament honors. Alleyne, a captain on the men’s team, spoke about the expectations of being an all-conference player while trying to bounce back from knee surgery late last year.
The Tuskegee University men's tennis team at the SIAC Championships. Photo courtesy of Tuskegee University tennis.
“So far, I feel like I’m doing pretty good,” he said. “A few months ago, I had surgery on my knee, so I’m bouncing back from that. So far, we’ve been doing good as a team. I’m proud of myself for the way I’m playing after recovering in such a short span of time. We’re currently 4-2 [in conference play]. So I think we can continue working.”
The men are 5-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play as of the time of publication, putting the team in third in the SIAC standings.
Meanwhile, the women’s team has gone 9-2 with a perfect 9-0 in conference play this season. Their unblemished conference record puts them at No. 1 in the standings. They’ve continued to build on their success last season, when they delivered a 14-5 record and ended their season on a 10-match winning streak before falling in the quarterfinals of the SIAC Championship last season, their progress from the year prior did not go unnoticed. Sophomore and captain Chloe Griffin-Harrington mentioned how last season's success continued to fuel them this year.
The Tuskegee University tennis team comes together. Photo courtesy of Tuskegee University tennis.
“That drive we had last year, [Green] increased the intensity of practice and increased our motivation even more,” Harrington said in early February. “It’s the reason why we have that 8-0 [streak]. Last year was a good year because we were all freshmen. This year, we want it now.”
Though neither team has won championships recently, they are no strangers to winning. The women’s team has won seven SIAC titles since 2000. No other women’s program in the conference has more, and they are tied with Morehouse College for both men’s and women’s titles in the same period, according to SIAC.com. The men won three in a row from 2004 to 2006. In addition, since 2010, the men have finished top three in the SIAC Championship tournament four times, while the women have done it five times, including back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.
Besides the winning aspect of the sport, Green also stresses another important message for his student-athletes: “First, we are a family, that’s the main thing,” Green said. “We talk about family every day.”
As a family, they follow a motto engraved in their minds and spread throughout their facilities.
“As a person, you can only control great attitude and great effort, which equals greatness,” Green said. “That’s the motto that we go by. We tap that as soon as we walk through the gates. It’s posted on our fence. We travel with it, and before we touch those courts, we touch that sign. That’s letting us know right now that we’re about to lock in.”
Green, a multiple-time coach of the year winner, gave credit to his players for creating a winning culture during his tenure at Tuskegee.
“By the time I got to Tuskegee, they wanted to win, and the students I had at the time just needed some direction. It was challenging at times, but the students wanted it just as much as I did,” Green said. “Some coaches get caught up on themselves, but it’s all about the players.”
Though it’s only the beginning of the season, Tuskegee’s tennis program will be one to watch for this season and the near future.
The Tuskegee University tennis team comes together. Photo courtesy of Tuskegee University tennis.
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