Quite a Racquet: Gay Tennis Tournaments
Open Up the Courts
Tennis tournaments are at their peak in the summer, offering GLBT athletes a chance to perfect their swings and serves.
This very individual sport retains a strong sense of community. Players who have just met and longtime opponents play together in doubles. Sometimes, instructors even play against their students.
Over Memorial Day weekend, Washington, D.C., New York, and San Francisco hosted large tournaments. San Francisco's Gay & Lesbian Tennis Federation (GLTF) is one of the oldest of gay tennis groups, having hosted one of the first national gay tournaments, the United States Gay Open (USGO).
In the Men's Open Singles, Curtis Dunn defeated Kerry Mitchell, 7-6, 7-5. 'We hadn't played in a tournament, but we practice every week,' said Dunn, who takes lessons from Mitchell. 'We know each other's game inside and out.'
When asked just after his victory if his goal was to defeat his coach, Dunn said, 'No, I just wanted to come out and play well.'
Mitchell, who's won the Men's Singles for several consecutive years, joked, 'You wanted to beat me!'
Mitchell recalls the early years of gay tennis, when San Francisco was one of the only cities hosting tournaments. 'Then Los Angeles and Atlanta got one,' he says. 'Everybody traveled to those, because they were big events. The ones that were established first are still the bigger events.'
Upcoming events in San Diego (July 3-5), Vancouver (Aug. 3-5), and Atlanta (Sept. 3-6) will each attract hundreds of players. Mitchell estimates up to 25 gay tournaments annually, including in Chicago. 'Other clubs have their own tournaments and bring people in,' he says, adding that many players, however, limit their travels to tournaments near their home cities.
Diane Lebow and Claudia Diorio traveled from Seattle to San Francisco and competed together in the Women's Pairs, making it to the finals. They credit the Seattle Tennis Association (STA) with getting them on the courts.
'I didn't get serious until I joined the STA,' says Lebow. 'It was a way to play tennis but also meet other gay and lesbian people.'
They'll be playing in Seattle's Evergreen 2004 tournament, July 2-4. As in most tournaments, a wide range of categories offers opportunities for all skill levels.
Diorio didn't play any sports until picking up a tennis racket five years ago. To improve, 'I started working out with a trainer to have stronger muscles,' she says.
One of few women's tournaments, the upcoming Bayou Women's Tennis Tournament in New Orleans, held in October, is high on Diorio's to-do list. When asked if she knows if the event is lesbian-focused, she smiled. 'I don't know, honey, but I just know it's all women!'
Such an event has a big draw in a sport where, surprisingly, female participation remains limited.
'I think a lot of lesbians have self-esteem issues. Sometimes, competition is difficult for them,' says Diorio. 'Maybe they can't afford it. But it's not like tennis is an expensive sport. You play outside for free.'
But when it comes to competition, Lebow suspects that travel and entry fees may be a hindrance to lesbian participation.
Age plays a factor as well. 'A lot of lesbians, when they're younger, play softball or basketball,' says Lebow. 'They pick up tennis or golf when they're older. They're also a little more settled down. The average age of women playing at this tournament is in their 30s or 40s.'
But both women agree that tennis is a sport that can be played at any age and at plenty of recreational tournaments that aren't specifically gay. 'But I love the fact that this is a gay open,' says Diorio.
Part of the gay aspect is a certain level of campy fun at social events. At this year's GLTF banquet, comedian Mark Davis told tennis jokes, and a silent auction and raffle for prizes (including adult DVDs and Barbie dolls) covered costs and raised funds for local AIDS charities.
One of the attendees at both the banquet and tournament was Mike Vuong. He played doubles with Brian Sinclair, whom he met at a previous tournament in Sinclair's hometown of Portland.
'I'd seen him play, and our styles complement one another,' says Vuong. 'Brian usually plays on the outside. I like to play on the deuce side. He's a great server. I love to return at the baseline (nearer to the net).'
A native San Franciscan, Vuong wasn't openly gay until his 20s, and he credits tennis with helping him come out.
'It was 1997,' Vuong recalls. 'It had been raining for two months. It finally stopped, so I drove to a tennis court, and saw two guys who happened to be gay. They introduced me to the GLTF, and I've been playing with them ever since. So, they helped me come out. It was great.'
Jim Provenzano is the author of the novels PINS and Monkey Suits. Read more sports articles at www.sportscomplex.org .
Chicago MSA, www.chicagomsa.com
Gay & Lesbian Tennis Federation www.gltf.org
Atlanta's Peach International Tennis Championship http://www.atta.org/thepeach
San Diego Tennis Federation www.sdtf.org
Seattle Evergreen 2004 www.teamseattle.org/sta
Bayou Women's Tennis Club (504) 943-4807 E-mail: pugdal@msn.com
Vancouver International Pride Tennis Tournament E-mail: viptennis@canada.com
See www.sportscomplex.org .
