Game, set, match – The International Tennis Hall of Fame
Nestled in the heart of the Bellevue Historic District, the International Tennis Hall of Fame is a must-see for anyone who “loves” the game. Built at the height of the Gilded Age, the iconic complex is not only a National Historic Landmark but also one of the crown jewels of the sport.
With 2,000 square feet of gallery space and the finest grass courts west of Wimbledon, the Tennis Hall of Fame is a place where the past is preserved, champions are celebrated, and the game is grown within a global community.
The Newport Casino
Commissioned in 1879 by New York Heraldpublisher James Gordon Bennett Jr., the Newport Casino was to serve as a summer social club for coastal elites. The Victorian-shingle style complex was designed by the newly formed McKim, Mead, & White architectural firm that would create the Brooklyn Museum, the Boston Public Library and the main campus of Columbia University before eventually renovating both the East Wing and West Wing of the White House.
The casino’s amenities included areas for squash, billiards and lawn bowling as well as reading rooms, shops, a convertible theater and a ballroom. In 1880 both lawn and court tennis facilities were installed, and it wasn’t long before tennis became the key attraction of the resort. In 1881, the United States Lawn Tennis Association held its first championships on the grounds – a tradition that continued through 1914 until World War I suspended play.
As the Gilded Age gave way to the Roaring ’20s, the subsequent Depression era and the World War II years, the Newport Casino struggled to stay afloat. Social club retreats no longer attracted the wealthy and powerful seasonal tourists they had before, and the complex fell into disrepair. By 1950 the facility was in danger of being demolished and redeveloped into something more modern, but Newport resident Jimmy Van Alen stepped in to save the crumbling casino as well as its rich tennis tradition.
A shrine to the sport
Jimmy Van Alen was not only a former national singles and doubles champion, but he pioneered a streamlined scoring system for tennis that introduced the concept of the “tie break” that is used today to end prolonged matches. He got the idea to create a shrine to the ideals of the sport after a visit to the National Baseball Hall in Cooperstown, N.Y. Remembering the Newport Casino’s ties to the tennis community, he hated the thought of the once venerated facility being reduced to rubble and redeveloped into a retail space. Together with his wife Candy, he purchased the property and in 1954 established the National Tennis Hall of Fame on the grounds. The United States Tennis Association endorsed the institution the year of its inception and a year later, the first Hall of Fame members were inducted: Oliver Campbell, U.S. Singles Champion 1890-92, and Joseph Clark and Richard Sears, U.S. Doubles champions 1885.
The National Tennis Hall of Fame was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and, with the induction of England’s Fred Perry, Wimbledon Singles Champion 1934-36, five years later, the Hall of Fame became an international organization. To date, there have been 262 inductees representing 27 countries throughout the world. Notable members of the Hall of Fame include two-time calendar Grand Slam champion Rod Laver, 22-time Grand Slam Champion Steffi Graff and World Tennis Magazine founder Gladys Heldman as well as inspirational trailblazers such as Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King. Van Alen himself was inducted in 1965.
Inductees are highlighted in the Enshrinement Gallery, which is home to a collection of more than 30,000 artifacts including art, fashion, photos, videos, publications and more. The museum is divided into three sections that highlight the Birth of Tennis, 1874-1918; the Popular Game, 1918-68; and the Open Era, 1968-present. Visitors have the chance to see a rare book from 1555 that has what is believed to be the earliest known writing about the sport; the bold tennis fashions of Ted Tinling, who brought color and glamor to his custom creations for Suzanne Lenglen and Martina Navratilova; and the grand-slam gallery featuring major trophies won by champions over the years. Interactive exhibits include a 5-foot tennis trivia table, a hologram of Roger Federer explaining why he loves the game, and the Arthur Ashe ’68 VR Experience, which allows guests to experience the moment in which Ashe became the first Black man to win the U.S. Open.
For those looking to play a set, the International Tennis Hall of Fame has 13 grass courts, three outdoor hard courts, a green clay court and an indoor “court” tennis facility. Court rentals, clinics and other programs are open to members as well as the general public. “If you like tennis, the history of tennis, amazing architecture or just the amazing atmosphere of Newport, the HOF is a must see,” said Heath Berkowitz of West Bridgewater, Mass. “I love to go there and dream that it’s the turn-of-the-century and I am one of the elite socialites who partied and played on these grounds so long ago.”
Originally known as the Newport Casino, the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., was commissioned in 1879 as a summer social club for wealthy elites. In 1950 the property was purchased by Jimmy Van Alen, who created a shrine to the game he loved. (RB Photo via Flickr; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) Visitors to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., say that the architecture and ambiance is the perfect place for any tennis fan and one of the few places in the U.S. where the game can play on real grass courts. (MollieGPhoto/Shutterstock.com) 
The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s legendary grass courts are open to the public year-round. They are also the site for various tournaments and clinics. (NicoFlynn via Wikimedia Commons; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en) The International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., includes a museum that celebrates the history of the sport and includes memorabilia from some of the kings and queens of the court such as Monica Seles, Serena Williams and Roger Federer. Pictured is the outfit worn by Seles at the 1995 U.S. Open. (David via Flickr; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
