Texas

Ken McAllister Earns Lifetime Achievement Award, Fellow Texans Honored

USPTA | October 08, 2020

The United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) is proud to present the George Bacso Lifetime Achievement Award to Ken McAllister of Austin, Texas.

“We are honored to present Ken with this award in recognition of his incredible contributions to our sport and Association over the last 50 years,” USPTA CEO John Embree said. “Ken’s indomitable spirit and enthusiasm for tennis has touched countless lives across multiple generations."

McAllister, a USPTA Master Professional and a 45-year member, was instrumental in developing the original USPTA certification exam in the 1970s. McAllister was the USPTA Head Tester in Texas for just under 20 years before becoming the Executive Director of the Texas Tennis Association, which eventually became USTA Texas. McAllister details these stories and more in his book, Cattle to Courts: A History of Tennis in Texas.

In 2008, McAllister created the Community Tennis Association plan to give power of running tennis in Texas to local communities. McAllister also served on the USPTA National Board of Directors in 2016 and ’17. He is an accomplished USTA Adult League player and also served as a USTA chair umpire, including as a base linesman at the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King in Houston.

Ken was featured in the September/October edition of Inside Tennis Magazine. You can read the story here.

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