The Avondale Athletic Club was the first venue for the Cincinnati
Masters in 1899
Tennis anyone? Tennis has a long history in Cincinnati. Before there were established football, hockey or soccer teams in Cincinnati, tennis was the sport of choice. The Cincinnati Tennis Club was established in 1880 to accommodate the growing popularity of the sport and continues to be one of the oldest active tennis clubs in the United States. The Club has had a number of nationally ranked players and has produced two International Hall of Famers Tony Trabert and Bill Talbert. In 1983, the Cincinnati Tennis Club was entered in the National Register of Historic Places for its leadership in the development and advancement of the sport of tennis in Cincinnati. The Club continues to attract top talent by hosting the annual National Father & Son Clay Court Championship, July 24-26, 2009, with over 40 teams competing for the United States Tennis Association national title.
Tournaments were played on clay courts at the Avondale Athletic Club
Every year, Cincinnati carries on the tradition of hosting some of the top professional tennis players in the world! The Western & Southern Financial Group Masters & Women’s Open, August 8-23, 2009, features the men’s ATP World Tour and the women’s Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Also known as the Cincinnati Masters, it got its start in 1899. The tournament is the oldest tennis tournament played in its original city in the United States, with Cincinnati native Nat Emerson the very first men’s singles winner. Whether you’re looking for background information about the tournaments or the latest news, we have plenty of resources to recommend! See why Cincinnati was the first city named a “Tennis City of the Year” by the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Books
- A Terrible Splendor : Three Extraordinary Men, a World Poised for War, and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played by Marshall Fisher
- The Open Book : Celebrating 40 Years of America’s Grand Slam
- The Bud Collins History of Tennis : An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book by Bud Collins
- Justine Henin : From Tragedy to Triumph by Mark Ryan
- Tennis Confidential II : More of Today's Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies by Paul Fein
- A Champion's Mind : Lessons From a Life in Tennis by Pete Sampras
- Roger Federer by Ellen Labrecque
- The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Tennis : the Definitive Illustrated Guide to World Tennis by John Parsons
- Venus and Serena Williams : A Biography by Jacqueline Edmondson
- A Necessary Spectacle : Billie Jean King, Bobby Riggs, and the Tennis Match That Leveled the Game by Selena Roberts
- Official Guide to Professional Tennis
- Bad News for McEnroe : Blood, Sweat, and Backhands with John, Jimmy, Ilie, Ivan, Bjorn, and Vitas by Bill Scanlon
- Born to Win : The Authorized Biography of Althea Gibson by Frances Clayton Gray
- From Club Court to Center Court : The Evolution of Professional Tennis in Cincinnati
- The Cincinnati Tennis Club : A Brief History, 1880-2000 by Edmund Adams
DVDs
- Arthur Ashe : Citizen of the World
- Attack the All–Court Player
- Beat the Baseliner
- Neutralize the Net–Rusher
- The 2005 Official Film
Related Resources
- Cincinnati Tennis Club Wikipedia Article
- “Cincinnati Tennis Club Endures Depite a Century of Change.” Cincinnati Enquirer 7/22/1983 D3:1
- Greater Cincinnati Tennis Association
- Tennis. The official monthly publication of the United States Tennis Association.
- Association of Tennis Professionals Wikipedia Article
- ATP Master Series Wikipedia Article
- Women's Tennis Association Wikipedia Article
- Cincinnati Enquirer’s Special 1999 Section On the Tournament's 100th Anniversary
- Greater Cincinnati Tennis Hall of Fame
- International Tennis Hall of Fame