Mount Pleasant Magazine Fall 2011

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C harleston has
long been known
for its crucial role in
American history,
its distinctive brand
of architecture, its abundance of
churches and its welcoming attitude
toward visitors from throughout the
Southeast,
the nation
and the world. An early and decisive
battle of the Revolution was waged
nearby, and the first shots of the Civil
War were fired at a fort in its harbor.
Centuries old buildings stand strong
and tall as a reminder of the Holy
City’s storied past, while year after
year, Charleston is touted as one of
America’s friendliest cities.
Now Charlestonians have some-
thing new to crow about. The city
recently claimed honors as the United
States Tennis Association’s “Best Tennis
Town” for 2010, an honor Charleston
will own at least until 2012.
Along with a trophy, Charleston
earned $100,000 that can be used
for tennis programs or to build or
improve tennis facilities. The Holy
City competed for top honors with
81 other U.S. cities, including
second-place Atlanta and third-place
Richmond, Virginia. Other cities fin-
ishing in the top 10 were Beaverton,
Oregon; Clearwater, Florida;
Delray Beach, Florida; Manchester
Center, Vermont; Rome, Georgia;
Rosemount, Minnesota; and Snow
Hill, North Carolina.
“Charleston is the best tennis
town in America because here, tennis
is for everybody,” Mayor Joe Riley
said in a video prepared for the
competition. “It starts with kids from
inner city schools, and you’ve got a
world class Family Circle facility that
is owned by the city of Charleston
and available for our citizens.”
The winner of the prestigious
prize was announced at the 2010
U.S. Open in Flushing, New York.
The contest got underway in April,
when 82 cities submitted their en-
tries. A panel of judges narrowed the
field to 10, then tennis enthusiasts
around the country had the opportu-
nity to vote online during an 11-day
period in July.
Each April, Charleston hosts the
Family Circle Cup on Daniel Island,
a nine-day tournament where the best
female tennis players in the world
compete for cash prizes totaling more
than $700,000. Launched in 1973
on Hilton Head Island, the event
was moved to Charleston in 2001.
In 2011, 94,241 fans went through
the turnstiles to watch Caroline
Wozniacki claim the singles title
and Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina
come out on top in the doubles
competition. Past champions include
Chris Evert, Rosie Casals, Martina
Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Gabriela
| |
Sabatini, Jennifer Capriati and Venus
and Serena Williams.
However, tennis in the Charleston
area does not begin and end during a
nine-day stretch in April at the 10,200-
seat Family Circle Tennis Center. The
facility hosted the premier internation-
al men’s tennis competition, the Davis
Cup, in 2004. Meanwhile, the Kiawah
Island Tennis Center has been cited as
the world’s best tennis destination four
of the past five years by Tennis Resorts
Online, and, in 2010, the Wild Dunes
Resort on the Isle of Palms soared all
the way from 10th place to the runner-
up spot. The rankings were based on
a 17-category survey of serious tennis
players.
Those who play for fun, recreation
and the opportunity to pass the sport
on to the next generation also are
prevalent in the Charleston area. The
Lowcountry Tennis Association boasts
more than 12,000 members, while the
2010-2011 season of the Charleston
Area Ladies Tennis Association
included competition among 53
teams and 736 players participating at
22 tennis centers throughout the area.
Meanwhile, with an eye on
producing a whole new generation
of tennis players, the United States
Tennis Association recently provided
the Charleston County School District
with a three-year, $150,000 grant that
eventually will provide equipment
and lessons during and after school to
students at 45 CCSD schools. And
the Family Circle Cup has teamed up
with the city Recreation Department’s
Courting Kids program for inner-city
children, committing more than
$50,000 in financial, material and
promotional support. Founder and
coordinator Delores Jackson launched
Courting Kids in 1992 with a
$12,000 grant from the Paul Newman
Foundation, long before the city’s con-
nection with the sport of tennis was
enhanced by the nationally-televised
Family Circle Cup.
TennisTown,
U.S.A.Charleston, s.C.
By Brian sherman