USTA NEW ENGLAND ANNOUNCES HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2025

Una Keyes Davis

Una Keyes Davis is a decorated player whose remarkable tennis career spans decades of excellence, from dominating junior competition in New England to making her mark on the international stage. 

A former two-time No. 1-ranked junior in New England (14s & 16s), she won the 1969 New England Sportsmanship Award and claimed the 1970 Girls’ 16s National Indoor Doubles Championship.

As a standout player for the University of Florida, Keyes Davis competed at the top singles positions before continuing her success at the professional level, playing for the Boston Lobsters in the World TeamTennis League. 

As a tournament player, Keyes Davis won the 1972 New England Women’s Singles Championship, while ending the year ranked No. 1. She also finished No. 1 in singles, doubles and mixed doubles in 1977. 

“I am particularly honored and grateful to receive this recognition from USTA New England. New England is my original tennis community. It’s where I grew up and where I developed my love for tennis. I am grateful to New England tennis for the foundation it gave me and the stage it set for a full and dynamic life, and it makes me very happy to be included in such an accomplished group of tennis enthusiasts,” Keyes Davis said.  

She continued her career following her move to Southern California, earning the No. 1 ranking in the section in 1993 in the 35 & Over division. She captured a National Women’s 60 & Over Doubles title in 2015, and most recently, she became a World Champion at the 2024 70 & Over Doubles ITF Masters World Individual Championships. Keyes Davis also earned a team silver and singles bronze at the World Championships.  

In recognition of her lifelong contributions to the sport, Keyes Davis was inducted into the San Diego Tennis Hall of Fame in 2024. 

Off the court, she continues to shape the future of tennis as Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Southern California Tennis Association Foundation and as a long-time advisor for the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 16s & 18s Nationals. Keyes Davis has also made a number of generous monetary donations, most notably giving $3 million to the Southern California Tennis Association Foundation in 2020. 

Peter Lyons

Peter Lyons began playing tennis at age 10, and since, he has found success wherever he’s gone. Following his Connecticut All-State honors in high school, Lyons went on to play No. 1 singles at Providence College (PC), where he would excel. He compiled a career record of 82-8, winning titles and earning major recognition along the way. 

Lyons was named the 1979 PC Male Athlete of the Year and 1980 Mal Brown Award (given to one senior athlete with dedication, honor and sportsmanship in a particular sport). He won six intercollegiate tournaments and reached the semifinals of the DI New England Collegiate Championship. In 1993, he was inducted into the PC Hall of Fame.  

Following graduation, Lyons went on to play professionally, earning a career high of No. 854 in the world. 

He continued to thrive in the USTA adult tournament circuit, earning two No. 1 New England doubles rankings (with Bill Cashman), two No. 1 singles rankings and a No. 4 singles ranking in Men’s 35 and Over. 

Other notable tournament wins include: The Western Maryland Open in 1981, The Connecticut Closed State Championship in 1982 and the Virgin Islands Open in 1991 and 1992.

“Being chosen into the Hall of Fame is an absolute honor that affords me inclusion into a select group of individuals who have excelled and made an impact on the game of tennis. It means that all the hard work I have put into the game, whether as a player or professionally through work, has made an impact,” Lyons said.

After his tennis career, Lyons transitioned to a professional career in the industry. He has worked as a territory manager for 37 years for Prince, Dunlop and currently Babolat, earning National Salesman of the Year honors at each. 

Lyons and his wife, Karen, also ran the Rhode Island Special Olympics tennis program for years. 

Ed Pagano

Ed Pagano is a legendary coach who has and continues to leave his mark on New England tennis through his students. Pagano has coached and mentored thousands of players, with a focus on juniors, in Connecticut since the late 1960s, and still actively coaches today. 

The owner of the Tennis Club of Trumbull (TCT), Pagano has mentored some of the top players in New England, including members of the New England Hall of Fame Class of 2020, James Blake and Brian Barker.  

Both went on to have successful collegiate and professional careers as players and coaches. Barker was most notably Blake’s longtime coach, including when he reached a career high of No. 4 in the world on the ATP tour.

Barker now heads the high-performance junior program at the TCT, which continues to be one of the most successful in New England. 

Pagano is a student of the game, and as a trained school teacher, he’s able to convey what he has learned in an effective and encouraging manner to his students, always providing a positive experience. 

“Being selected to the New England Tennis Hall of Fame is very exciting—when I began coaching high school tennis in 1969, I never expected to make a career out of this, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come,” Pagano said. “Tennis in New England has given me the opportunity to, first, enjoy a 50-year teaching career and, second, build my own tennis club to reach the larger community. This is an affirmation of my work and teaching over the past 50+ years.”

Pagano also coached, captained and competed on a number of USTA League teams out of TCT, winning Sectionals and competing at Nationals on several occasions. 

The USTA New England Hall of Fame exists to recognize and honor New England tennis players and non-players whose achievements or volunteer contributions in tennis-related activities have been outstanding over a significant period of time. 

Nominations are open for the Hall of Fame Class of 2026. To learn more about the Hall of Fame and to nominate, click here.

About USTA New England

USTA New England, one of 17 regional sections across the country that comprise the United States Tennis Association (USTA), is a not-for-profit organization committed to promoting and developing the growth of tennis and increasing participation in the sport in New England by offering quality recreational and competitive programs for people of all ages and abilities. For more information, visit usta.com/newengland.