On December 7, world #1 ranked men’s tennis player Carlos Alcaraz visited Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange, talking to youth players and meeting with members. “A historic day at a historic club. Thank you to Carlos Alcaraz for visiting Orange Lawn. Where tennis tradition has lived since 1880,” read a post by OLTC to its social media.
Orange Lawn has a storied history. For decades, the club hosted the lead-up tournament to the U.S. National Championships (now the U.S. Open). Legendary players including John McEnroe, Althea Gibson, Billy Jean King, Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall have played the courts at OLTC. The club was key to Gibson breaking through the color line in tennis: In 1950, after being denied entry to a tournament at the Maplewood Country Club, “Orange Lawn broke the dam, allowing her to play in the Eastern Grass Court Championships, the second-most important American tournament behind Forest Hills. A decent showing and the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association’s hands would be tied. She won a match against Virginia Rice Johnson, lost the next one, but then made the quarterfinals at the National Clay Court Championships in Chicago. Her tennis talked.” [From The Athletic, September 7, 2025.]
Find out more about the history of Orange Lawn Tennis Club here: orangelawn.com/our-story
