USTA & American Tennis Association join forces to grow Black representation in tennis

After years of successful collaboration, the USTA and the American Tennis Association (ATA) are coming together for a new initiative reflecting their shared mission to grow participation, retention, and leadership opportunities among diverse communities in tennis. The pillars of this new initiative, announced Monday, include increasing Black representation in tennis, a mentorship program developing pipelines of diverse professionals in coaching and tennis careers, and inspiring future generations to participate in the sport.

“We are proud to formalize our relationship with the ATA, which has a rich and storied history of breaking down barriers and transforming tennis into a sport that is more diverse and inclusive,” said Marisa Grimes, the USTA’s Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. “Tennis has experienced remarkable growth over the past year, with a 26% increase in participation in the Black community nationwide. This will provide us opportunities to continue that momentum and combine our resources so that we’re not just opening doors—we’re building pathways for the next generation of diverse players, coaches and leaders in the sport.”

The oldest African-American sports organization in the United States, the ATA was founded in 1916 by a group of African-American businessmen, college professors, and physicians in response to the exclusion of Black players from competing in US Lawn Tennis Association (precursor to the USTA) organized tennis tournaments alongside White players. Today, the ATA continues to develop and promote opportunities through tennis in diverse communities.

This year, the USTA will host a “Careers in Tennis Open House” during ATA National Championship Week. Open to high school and college students, the event will provide young people with the opportunity to learn about the tennis industry, have their resumes reviewed and participate in mock interviews.

This new initiative will also enable the USTA and ATA to collaborate on the creation of curated educational content throughout the year, including newsletters and webinars that focus on tennis initiatives, volunteer opportunities, health and wellness, career development, and other relevant topics.

“2025 is the 75th anniversary of Althea Gibson breaking the color barrier by competing in the 1950 U.S. National Championship. This is also the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe being the first and only African-American male to win the Wimbledon men’s singles championship,“ added Robert Foster, President of the ATA.