Beyond the Baseline: How Black Excellence in Tennis Demands Recognition, Representation, and Respect
Black tennis players are rewriting the game—but without cultural backing, media power, and systemic change, their brilliance risks being overlooked again
Serving Aces: The Court We Deserve
By: Eric Lambkins II
We remember the echoes. The regal power of Althea Gibson, a queen conquering a kingdom not built for her. The quiet, unassailable grace of Arthur Ashe, whose serve was a statement and whose conscience was a compass. Then came the revolution in beads and braces, Serena and Venus, who didn’t just enter the tour but seized it, rewriting the very physics of the game with thunderous serves and a will forged on Compton concrete. Now, Naomi’s courageous whisper and CoCo’s fearless sprint carry the torch forward. We see their glory, their grand slam trophies glinting under the lights, yet the chorus of celebration from the wider world often feels like a distant, fading applause. The endorsements are smaller. The headlines are quieter. The narrative, too frequently, is about everything but their breathtaking brilliance.
The solution isn’t a plea. It never was. We already hold this power. If the world is to celebrate Black players in full measure, the culture that has always set the rhythm must lead the charge. We must be the drummers and the dancers. We must fill the stadium stands with a sea of vibrant, vocal affirmation. We must fill the public courts with a new generation of individuals who embody the audacity of their predecessors. We must champion them in barbershop debates and beauty salon conversations, make their victories our anthems, their style our standard. Let their names ring in our homes, their highlights dominate our timelines. When our passion becomes the pulse of the sport, the corporatocracy will have no choice. Our gaze will direct their dollars. Our cheers will dictate their coverage. Our love will make the game cool, and the world, as it always does, will finally catch up.
Issues for Blacks in Tennis Today
By: Mykell Mathieu
Eric made a lot of great points above, but he left out one key thing: for these Black names to truly elevate, it has to go beyond ‘culture.’ These players need the game itself to fully embrace them—pushing both their names and their talent to new heights.
If I asked you if you knew a name like Frances Tiafoe or Christopher Eubanks, you would most likely say no. How about names like Alycia Parks or Taylor Townsend? You would probably give me the same answer. These are young Black tennis athletes who often don’t receive the same level of support and respect in the sport as their peers.
Black tennis players still face racism and discrimination today. We saw it recently with the incident at the US Open, when Jelena Ostapenko directed insulting comments at Townsend. There is also a lack of representation in coaching and administrative roles, which can lead to a sense of disconnection for Black individuals trying to get involved in the sport beyond just being a player.
Representation On and Off the Court
By: Jackie Rae
“If the world is to celebrate Black players in full measure, the culture that has always set the rhythm must lead the charge.” Well said, Eric. The truth is, Black people not only set the tone for the culture, but we also shift it, causing elevations in community and sports. But let’s be honest – for every barrier we break, white society will do everything that it can to reshape it to its will.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 provided more long-term benefits for white women than it did for the Black community. The same can be said for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.
The remarks Jelena Ostapenko directed toward Taylor Townsend, as Mykell pointed out, prove that the culture of racism is not just an American issue. For Black athletes, the solution has always been, and will always be, Black people. We must step up and support one another at all costs. Athletes in sports like tennis, which often lack young Black athletes, need to empower the youth to get involved on every level. Sports management, sports agents, coaches, public relations, media, and everything in between—must see an influx of young Black talent.
Although we will never fully change the culture of bias, racism, and discrimination, we can begin to control the narrative and give Black athletes the shine and the mental space and security to continue to excel.
