Leslie Allen (tennis)
Encyclopedia
Leslie Allen is a retired American professional tennis player.
Allen was a member of the University of Southern California
national championship team and graduated magna 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 on #17 in the world.
In 1981, Allen became the first African American
woman to win a 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 help inner city children develop skills through tennis to become productive members of society. She is currently the varsity tennis coach at Riverdale Country School in Riverdale, New York.
Allen was a member of the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
national championship team and graduated magna cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in speech communications. She joined the WTA Tour
Women's Tennis Association
The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...
in 1977 and went on to reach a career high ranking on #17 in the world.
In 1981, Allen became the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
woman to win a tennis tournament since Althea Gibson
Althea Gibson
Althea Gibson was a World No. 1 American sportswoman who became the first African-American woman to be a competitor on the world tennis tour and the first to win a Grand Slam title in 1956. She is sometimes referred to as "the Jackie Robinson of tennis" for breaking the color barrier...
when she won the Avon Championships of Detroit, although Renee Blount
Renee Blount
Renee Blount is a retired American professional tennis player.-Early career:Blount, a protégé of Arthur Ashe, was a number one singles and doubles All-American player for UCLA...
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
1983 French Open
List of the 1983 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Yannick Noah def. Mats Wilander, 6–2, 7–5, 7–6*It was Noah's 3rd title of the year, and his 14th overall. It was his 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's singles: Chris Evert def...
. 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 help inner city children develop skills through tennis to become productive members of society. She is currently the varsity tennis coach at Riverdale Country School in Riverdale, New York.
Runner-up (1)
| Year | Championship | Partnering | Opponents in Final | Score in Final |
| 1983 | French Open |  Charles Strode |
Barbara Jordan Eliot Teltscher Eliot Teltscher Eliot Teltscher is a retired professional American tennis player.-Early years:Teltscher's mother was born in Israel; his father emigrated there during the Holocaust, and joined the British army... |
6–2, 6–3 |