Own the Arena: Getting Ahead, Making a Difference, and Succeeding as the Only One

Tennis is a global sport and one of the leaders in that sport is former USTA President and CEO Adams: the first Black woman, first former professional tennis player, and youngest person to serve in this role. In this debut, Adams writes about falling in love with tennis as well as the highlights of her life and career. Tennis fans will appreciate the insight offered from one of the leaders in the sport, including a firsthand account of the 2018 U.S. Open women’s final between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka. Along the way, she also shares what it means to be a champion in the highly competitive world of tennis, and succeeding as a doubles player. The author also writes about difficult situations in her career, such as withdrawing from tournaments to attend her grandfather’s funeral, and how she navigated them. Her insight and experience as both a tennis player and a sports executive are invaluable and important to be shared. There are few Black women in prominent leadership roles in sports, and Adams is a role model for many.