Australian Open 3R (1982) Retired 1987 Career record 12–21 Turned pro 1977 | Prize money $330,606 Role Tennis player Name Leslie (tennis) | |
 | ||
Highest ranking No. 17 (February 15, 1981) Similar People Zina Garrison, Lori McNeil, Katrina Adams | ||
Race in tennis an interview with leslie allen
Leslie Allen (born March 12, 1957) is a retired American professional tennis player.
Contents
- Race in tennis an interview with leslie allen
- Althea gibson story with billie jean king leslie allen
- References
Unranked in junior tennis, Leslie Allen was an ATA, NCAA & WTA Champion. Allen was a member of the University of Southern California national championship team and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in speech communications. She joined the WTA Tour in 1977 and went on to reach a career high ranking of #17 in the world.
In 1981, Allen became the first African American woman to win a major pro tennis tournament since Althea Gibson when she won the Avon Championships of Detroit, although Renee Blount is also credited with this feat because she won the Futures of Columbus in 1979. Allen was also a mixed doubles finalist at the 1983 French Open. After retiring from professional tennis, she became a television broadcaster and was also elected to the WTA Board of Directors. Allen founded the Leslie Allen Foundation to introduce young people to the 100+careers behind the scenes in pro tennis. Through the Foundation's Win4Life program students are challenged to use the Win4Life 4D's (Desire, Dedication,Determination, Discipline) to succeed on and off the court. The Foundation's motto is "Tennis is more than just hitting a ball. Allen currently works as a real estate agent in NJ and is a motivational speaker.