Leslie Allen (tennis)
| Country (sports) |
 United States |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 12, 1957 Cleveland, United States |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) [1] |
| Turned pro | 1977 |
| Retired | 1987 |
| Plays | Right-handed [1] |
| College | USC |
| Prize money | $330,606 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 12–21 |
| Highest ranking | No. 17 (February 15, 1981) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1982) |
| French Open | 4R (1979, 1980, 1981) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1981) |
| US Open | 3R (1979) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 11–15 |
| Highest ranking | No. 10 (February 16, 1983) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (1982) |
| French Open | 3R (1983, 1984) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1982, 1984) |
| US Open | 3R (1982, 1983) |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| French Open | F (1982) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1982) |
| US Open | 2R (1981, 1982) |
Leslie Allen (born March 12, 1957) is a retired American professional tennis player.
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.[2] 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.
Grand Slam mixed doubles final
Runner-up (1)
| Year | Championship | Partnering | Opponents in final | Score in final |
| 1983 | French Open | Charles Strode | Barbara Jordan Eliot Teltscher | 2–6, 3–6 |
References
- 1 2 Emery, David, ed. (1983). Who's Who in International Tennis. London: Sphere. p. 7. ISBN 9780722133200.
- ↑ Djata, Sundiata A. (2006). Blacks at the net: Black achievement in the history of tennis, Volume 1. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
External links
- Leslie Allen at the Women's Tennis Association
- Leslie Allen at the International Tennis Federation
- Leslie Allen Foundation