Bob Ryland facts for kids
| Full name | Robert Hayes Ryland |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | June 16, 1920 Chicago, Illinois, US |
| Died | August 2, 2020 (aged 100) Provincetown, Massachusetts, US |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| US Open | 1R (1955) |
Bob Ryland (born June 16, 1920 – died August 2, 2020) was an amazing American tennis player and coach. He made history as the first African-American to play professional tennis. Bob Ryland coached many famous tennis stars. These included Arthur Ashe, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams. He also taught tennis at clubs in places like Bermuda and Puerto Rico. Ryland was honored in several Halls of Fame. These included the Black Tennis Hall of Fame and the Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame.
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Early Life in Tennis
Bob Ryland was born in Chicago in 1920. When he was 10 years old, he started playing tennis. He attended Tilden Tech High School in Chicago. While in high school, he won important tennis titles. He won both the Illinois State and junior ATA singles championships.
College Tennis Career
After high school, Ryland received a scholarship. He went to Xavier University in New Orleans. This was a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). His college tennis journey began there.
Ryland served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1945. After his service, he received another tennis scholarship. This time, he went to Wayne State University in Detroit. He played tennis there for two years. At Wayne State, Ryland broke an important barrier. He became one of the first black players to compete in the NCAA championships. He even reached the semifinals! Later, he was inducted into the University’s Hall of Fame.
In 1947, Ryland moved to California. There, he played tennis with famous players like Pancho Gonzalez. He also broke another barrier at the Los Angeles Tennis Club. He played in the Pacific Southwest Championships. In 1954, Ryland got a scholarship to Tennessee A&I in Nashville. At Tennessee, Ryland was both a player and a coach. He led his team to the small college national championships twice. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Tennessee.
Becoming a Professional Coach
After leaving Tennessee, Ryland moved back east. He became the physical education director at the YMCA in Montclair, New Jersey. In 1957, he started teaching tennis in New York. In 1958, Ryland made history again. He became the first African-American to play professional tennis. This happened at the World Pro Championships in Cleveland.
In the early 1960s, Ryland was in Washington, D.C.. He taught tennis to famous people like the Kennedys. He also taught Robert MacNamara at the St. Alban’s Country Club. Later, Ryland moved back to New York City. He started coaching at the Mid-Town Tennis Club. He worked there from 1963 to 1990.
During his coaching career, Ryland taught many professional tennis players. These included Harold Solomon, Renee Blount, Leslie Allen, Arthur Ashe, Bruce Foxworth, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams. He also taught tennis to many celebrities. Some of them were Barbra Streisand, Bill Cosby, and Tony Bennett.
Bob Ryland passed away on August 2, 2020. He was 100 years old.
Bob Ryland's Legacy
Bob Ryland left a lasting impact on tennis. He was the first black tennis player to compete in the NCAA National Championships. He was also the first black player/coach to lead a college team to two small college national championships. Ryland was the first black tennis player to play at the Los Angeles Tennis Club. Most importantly, he was the first African-American to play tennis professionally.
He was inducted into several Halls of Fame:
- Wayne State University Athletic Hall of Fame (1991)
- Black Tennis Hall of Fame (2009)
- Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame (2002), where he also received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.
- USTA-Midwest Hall of Fame (2019)
Ryland also gave inspiring talks and lectures. He spoke at places like the Harlem Armory and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
