This year, Texas Tennis Hall of Fame members gathered at several of the state's professional tennis tournaments, where they were recognized on Center Court as living embodiments of the sport's enduring legacy. Their presence paid homage to their remarkable achievements and served as a poignant reminder of the indelible mark they, and others, have left on Texas tennis.
On Thursday, February 8, Hall of Fame inductees gathered at the Dallas Open on the SMU campus. This exclusive event, one of only ten U.S. ATP Tour tournaments and the only indoor event, featured over 60 elite ATP Tour professionals competing in singles and doubles matches. Betty Sue Welch had the honor of conducting the coin toss for the second men's singles match between Australia's Jordan Thompson and American Denis Kudla. During the break between sets, the inductees were recognized on the court, including Barbara Camp, Jim Chaffin, Joyce Dreslin, Jerry Geyman, Laura Gilbert, Dick Landenberger, Kathy Langer, Wayne Leavitt, Betty Sue Welch, and Carol Weyman.
Central and South Texas Hall of Fame members were honored during an on-court ceremony on Monday, February 26, at the ATX Open, a WTA professional tennis tournament held at Westwood Country Club in Austin. Larry Eichenbaum had the privilege of performing the coin toss for the Day Session's second match between China's Wang Yafan and Italy's Lucia Bronzetti. The inductees honored included John King (representing his father, Dick King), Ron Woods, Ken McAllister, Fernando Velasco, Carol Welder, Paul Cass, and Larry Eichenbaum.
In a tribute to Houston-area Texas Tennis Hall of Famers, River Oaks Country Club set the stage for a special moment during the Fayez Sarofim & Co US Men's Clay Court Championship on April 1. River Oaks, with its historical significance in Texas tennis dating back to the inception of the International Tennis Tournament in 1931, was the perfect venue to honor these distinguished individuals. Inductees were recognized on-court before the evening matches, which included Americans Christopher Eubanks and J.J. Wolf. The inductees honored included John Wilkerson, Linda Thomas, Chuck Sanchelli, Lori McNeil, Karl Kamrath Jr., Sammy Giammalva Jr., Ron Fisher, Tommy Connell, Chris Bovett, Cindy Benzon, and Darryl Been (representing his father, John Been).
Thank you to these three prestigious events for celebrating not only the individual achievements of our Hall of Famers but also the rich history and promising future of Texas tennis.