{"id":955182,"date":"2026-07-24T01:14:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T01:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/955182\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T01:14:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T01:14:18","slug":"wta-memphis-classic-marks-triumphant-return-at-new-leftwich-tennis-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/955182\/","title":{"rendered":"WTA Memphis Classic marks triumphant return at new Leftwich Tennis Center"},"content":{"rendered":"

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Professional tennis has officially returned to the Bluff City this week as the Women\u2019s Tennis Association (WTA) Memphis Classic gets underway. The high-profile tournament features 32 of the best female tennis players in the world, with day and night sessions running through Sunday, August 2.<\/p>\n

For local tennis enthusiasts, the tournament is more than just a world-class sporting event. It serves as the ultimate grand opening for the all-new, $31 million Leftwich Tennis Center in Audubon Park\u2014a municipal centerpiece that has undergone a remarkable decade-long comeback.<\/p>\n

\"LeftwichLeftwich Tennis Center(Action News 5)<\/p>\n

Drivers cruising down Southern Avenue have long been accustomed to the old Leftwich footprint. For years, the facility languished in disrepair.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeftwich was in really bad shape,\u201d recalled former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. \u201cAbout that same time, the Racquet Club closed. And it was time to strike a partnership between the city government, the University of Memphis, and Tennis Memphis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, the site has been completely transformed. Under the nighttime lights, the facility shines as a tennis masterpiece. Built by local construction firm Grinder Taber Grinder, the venue now boasts 24 outdoor and 12 indoor courts, complete with amenities fit for racquet royalty.<\/p>\n

Yet, despite its premier, state-of-the-art design, Leftwich remains a public park at its core. It operates as a municipal facility open to anyone in the city who wants to pick up a racquet and play.<\/p>\n

The resurrection of Leftwich began as the dream of the late Gary Grear, a visionary entrepreneur and owner of the beloved local String \u2019n\u2019 Swing Tennis store.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he put his mind to something, it\u2019s going to happen, hell or high water,\u201d said his son, Matthew Grear.<\/p>\n

\"LeftwichLeftwich Tennis Center(Action News 5)<\/p>\n

According to Matthew, his father had been aggressively lobbying for a total renovation of the facility ever since his friend, Jim Strickland, was first elected to the city council. When Strickland became mayor in 2015, Grear intensified his efforts to overhaul the original four indoor and eight outdoor courts.<\/p>\n

The timing collided with a major void in the local sports landscape: the demolition of the historic Racquet Club in East Memphis, which had previously hosted the city\u2019s professional indoor tournaments for decades.<\/p>\n

Brian Bendersky and his wife, Anne Wulff\u2014both past presidents of the now demolished Racquet Club\u2014stepped in as the dynamic duo of the project. Working alongside Tennis Memphis, they set out to leverage old relationships to fund a spiritual successor to the Racquet Club, but on a grander, public scale.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a lot of meetings, and we talked to a lot of different companies, and the cost to re-do Leftwich was going to be pretty expensive,\u201d Bendersky realized early in the process.<\/p>\n

The turning point for the project came from an unexpected, quiet friendship. For nearly 27 years, Bendersky played a regular tennis game two to three times a week with a highly competitive partner: the late FedEx Founder, Fred Smith.<\/p>\n

Despite the massive budget shortfall for Leftwich, Bendersky resisted asking his friend for money, knowing Smith was constantly approached for donations: \u201cHe was my friend,\u201d Bendersky noted.<\/p>\n

However, Smith became keenly aware of the facility\u2019s history. The center honors the life of Lt. Col. William G. Leftwich Jr., a U.S. Marine from Memphis and a Naval Academy graduate who was killed in action during the Vietnam War. Smith, a fellow Marine veteran, decided to step in with a massive $4 million gift. He had only one strict demand.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe only had one request\u2014or actually, demand\u2014that we keep the Leftwich name on the facility,\u201d said former Mayor Strickland. \u201cBut that just shows you what a great person Fred Smith was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s multi-million-dollar endorsement triggered a domino effect across the local business community.<\/p>\n

\u201cMonied people in the community said, \u2018You know what? If Fred really believes in this, we should believe in it as well,\u2019\u201d said Kevin Kane, Chairman of the Tennis Memphis Board.<\/p>\n

With Smith\u2019s anchor donation securing community buy-in, the University of Memphis joined the coalition. Under now-retired University President Dr. David Rudd, the university secured millions in state funds to help finalize construction. Today, Leftwich serves as the official home court for the Tigers\u2019 men\u2019s and women\u2019s tennis teams, sitting so close to campus that it seamlessly blends into the university grounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you think of all the different pieces… the people who are involved, the ones in office, the ones at the university, the supporters that play tennis, all of that had to come together just right for this to have happened,\u201d said board member Anne Wulff.<\/p>\n

Though Gary Grear fell into poor health during the construction phase, he lived long enough to see his dream realized. Matthew Grear recalled bringing his father to the completed facility in a wheelchair: \u201cHe just lit up and he was excited about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the mission shifts to the future. Tennis Memphis, which operates all seven of the city\u2019s public tennis centers, uses the sport as a vehicle for social change. The organization provides academic tutoring and character building inside Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) middle schools.<\/p>\n

\"LeftwichLeftwich Tennis Center(Action News 5)<\/p>\n

John Borden, the newly appointed CEO of Tennis Memphis, believes hosting the WTA Memphis Classic will inspire the next generation of local children.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor our students across all of our campuses, not just here at Leftwich, they\u2019ll be able to see pros at work doing a thing that they love,\u201d Borden said. \u201cIf life is really about the experiences that you have and how they shape and inform what it is that you pursue, there is no better experience than watching the best in the world right in front of your eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Borden added, \u201cI think when the community really gets educated about Leftwich and what Tennis Memphis does citywide, I think that\u2019s going to change some hearts, I really do.\u201d<\/p>\n

TO GO TO THE TOURNAMENT<\/b><\/p>\n