Four African American tennis players who competed in the quarterfinals of a major for the very first time not only made history, but also provided representation and inspiration for young members of the Sportsmen's Tennis and Enrichment Center in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood.
"What they're seeing now in these players, in particular, is that no matter where you've come from, no matter what you're going through today, tomorrow, there's still a brand new world of opportunity for you if you're willing to put in the work," STEC CEO Toni Wiley told NBC10 Boston Wednesday.
Wiley had a front-row seat to watch tennis history be made at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City all week. There, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Coco Gauff and Madison Keys reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.
Tennis partners Mason Bultje and Aaron Goldsmith said they were glued to the TV Tuesday night to watch the first-ever match in the quarterfinals of a major between two Black American men. Shelton, 20, defeated Tiafoe, 25, and advanced to the semifinals.
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Meanwhile,19-year-old Coco Gauff made it to her first U.S. Open semifinal – the first American teen to do so since Serena Williams.
Bultje and Goldsmith, both STEC staff members, said it was a monumental moment for young Black players who haven’t always had that representation.
"I was even told as a kid that, 'You're not actually Black because you play tennis,'" Bultje said. "Talk about struggling with identity at a young age, right? As a young Black tennis player."
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"I think it finally gives them a role model," Goldsmith said. "It's one thing to see a professional out there, but it's another thing to see a professional that looks like you, talks, sounds like you, has come from places you've been. That type of representation is really empowering, especially to the youth."
