My Story.

It’s the summer of 1975 - July 5th to be exact, and it’s the warmest summer London has seen in nearly 30 years. It’s nothing like the heat I’m used to in the West End of Grand Bahama Island, but we’ll get back to that in a minute.

A Black man is about to step onto the “Holy Lawn”, otherwise known as the real grass tennis court of Wimbledon. His name is Arthur Ashe, and he’s currently seeded number six of the world’s top-ranking men’s tennis players, but not for long. He is up against Jimmy Connors, the world’s number one and reigning champion who won all three grand slam finals the previous year. The two opponents were best of friends on and off court, but Connors remained the crowd favorite for obvious reasons. The Royal Box was full, and eyes from all over the world were on that court when Ashe suddenly became the very first Black man to win Wimbledon! The widest eyes of all belonged to an 11-year-old Black boy - me.

Like I said, I was far from that Holy Lawn in London, but even from my mother’s apartment on Grand Bahama island, the world completely changed for me that day. I, Roger Smith, saw someone who looked like me, who came from humble beginnings like me, who had lost a parent as a child like me, who knew there was something bigger and better meant for himself like me, and who loved the game of tennis like me.

I know you may be wondering how a young Black boy from a tiny island in the Atlantic even discovered the game of tennis, so allow me to tell you.

I was born in Freeport, Grand Bahama, but during my early years, I grew up in a small settlement in the West End of Grand Bahama Island. The local population was just about 3,000, and nearly everyone’s livelihood revolved around one giant resort: The Jack Tar Hotel.  It was, as expected for a British commonwealth, a White owned business. Most people in the West End community simply aspired to promote as high as that service industry could take them. On occasions when the ‘Big Boss’ came to visit the local establishments, everyone would put on their Sunday best and try to impress. Even as a young boy, anyone who is anyone was just anyone to me. I don’t mean that offensively, but I do think it simply helped me separate status from potential which I would certainly need as my life began to take direction rather quickly. 

I can tell you a million stories from back then, but let’s get back to tennis. 

At the age of eight, my mother, sister, and I moved to the town of Freeport. We were living above our means at the time with just a widow’s income. However, my mom was determined and became a rather well-known clothing designer, a supplemental job she took on to help make ends meet. Her aspirations brought us to the heavily expat populated, luxurious Lucayan Towers apartment complex in Freeport. The most intriguing amenity there was the tennis courts. 

I was an athletic child, but I didn’t have any prior experience with tennis. None of the local kids would allow me to join their matches. Nevertheless, I was completely drawn to the game. The moment I set my eyes on that court, I knew that it would be my ticket!

After school, I would watch the players on the courts, and I soon discovered a ‘practice wall’. It was a large green concrete wall with a white line. On the western side of the wall there were the three tennis courts. On the eastern side was a fence separating the courts from the parking lot. I saw other players practicing against that wall, but they didn’t stay there for long periods of time. If tennis would become my ticket out, I knew this wall would be the ‘golden ticket’ in.

Some may say I became obsessed. I even got into trouble staying out past curfew on that wall, but at the time, I was simply driven. After three months of grinding on that wall, I played my first tournament at 11 years old. 

Now, back to July 5, 1975. I am watching Arthur Ashe help pave my path by winning sets one, two, and four against the world champion. Little did I know that a few decades later, I would be playing and coaching in THE Arthur Ashe Stadium, home of the US Open, in Queens NY.

At 11 years old, I grew my hair like Ashe. I wore any bright colored wrist & head bands I could find, Izod gear, and Tritorn tennis shoes just to look like him. I would even carry five rackets when stepping out onto the court (my opponents and onlookers were entirely unaware that I simply collected them from friends). 

At my first tournament, it was 95 degrees in Freeport. I looked like a clown, but I didn’t care. I became best of friends with my first opponent. He had been playing tennis for years. He had beautiful strokes that he learned from his mom who was a local pro working at a resort. However, I beat the hell out of him in that match!

After that tournament, everyone wanted to play with me. I was approached by the adults who gathered to watch me play as word began to spread about my talent. They wanted me to move up to the bigger leagues, and play against them. I did, and I continued winning. 

At age 12, I entered my first national tournament in Nassau, Bahamas. I won, and became the number one 12-and-under tennis player in all of the Bahama Islands. 

Tennis filled every day of the next two years. I got hand-me-down gear and apparel from the tennis community. Sometimes I even wore three to four pairs of socks at a time to properly fit into the hand-me-down tennis shoes from the local pro. But like I’ve said, I was determined to use this gift as my ticket.

In 1978, the world of sports introduced a huge event called “World Superstars”, and it was held in my hometown of Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. Superstars was originally created as an ABC television entertainment event where top pro athletes would compete against each other in sports other than the one they played as professionals; it was a mix between a single day Olympics and a Spartan race. It began in 1973 and was originally only available in the US, but it was quickly adopted across the pond in the UK and several other countries, which finally led to the world-wide version held in Freeport.

As you can imagine, the world’s attention on Freeport was surely exciting, but for me, I had my eyes on the prize of tennis, and nothing would distract me from training. What I didn’t expect, however, was that I would catch the attention of the lead promoter for Superstars, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder. He watched me play doubles at 14 years old against the Princess Towers’ general manager and his partner who was the number three head man in charge at the Port Authority.

Jimmy “The Greek” approached me and said, “I like your game. Who’s your coach?”

I responded with the truth, “I don’t have a coach.”

“I’ll be back in 2 weeks, (for more promotion of World Superstars) and I’m going to get you set up with your first coach” he replied. 

I didn’t think much of it, but I was respectful and kind. Remember, anyone who was anyone was (still) just anyone to me.

Later that night, I was still on the court playing.

Jimmy ran back over to me and said, “Roger, I’m serious. Give me about two weeks.”

He shook my hand, and I realized he was pressing a $100 bill into my hand. This gesture was meant to solidify that he was serious about what he had said earlier.

Mr. Snyder, as my manners would solely allow me to call him, came back two weeks later. On a Friday, he and I met with my mother to discuss his excitement about my budding career as an athlete. Two days later on Sunday, I was at the airport with a suitcase, $260 cash in my pocket, and a whole lot of unknowns ahead of me in Florida. 

At the airport, I presented the money in my pocket for the ticket, but Mr. Snyder told me to put it away.

We were off to Miami. 

That summer in Miami was a whirlwind. From the moment we landed, I had my very first true experience with wealth. We were picked up at the airport by a limo carrying Hank Goldberg. He was a witty sports talk radio and national television personality, and he was a close friend of Jimmy’s.

I stayed with Mr. Snyder for two nights. Those two nights and three days were full of enough stories to fill the next few hundred pages here, but again, let’s get back to tennis. 

Finally, the day came when I was to meet the coach Mr. Snyder had told me about back when he first approached me in Freeport. The coach's name was Gardner Mulloy. If you are familiar with the game of tennis, you’ll remember “Gar” as a US number one tennis player, primarily for doubles with partner Billy Talbert. During his career he won five Grand Slam doubles titles and was a member of the winning US Davis Cup team on three occasions. He would become my very first coach. 

At 14 years old, I played tournaments every day of the summer in Miami, and I was winning. After winning two tournaments, Hank Goldberg came to the next one, and he filmed a full TV segment on me!

In addition to playing, I had to work too! I would brush the clay courts every morning. I had to hand line 13 courts. Both sides. Also, I had to water the courts, which meant climbing to the top of each fence just to move the sprinkler around throughout.

All the wealthier adolescent athletes didn’t have to do what I did, but it made me disciplined. It helped me understand that you have to work for what you want. My work aside from tennis was a huge part of my work as an athlete, and I didn’t complain because the work came with what I wanted - tennis. 

Summer ended in Florida, and I headed back to Freeport just in time for Superstars. I resumed my duties working at the resort’s tennis courts. But now, at just 14 years old, I started giving lessons. 

I became really good friends with “The Big E”, Elvin Hayes, during Superstars that year. He took a real interest in me, and he talked to me like a big brother. Someone of that stature taking an interest in me solidified that I was on to something big, and obtaining my goal was really possible. 

It was one thing winning in the Bahamas as a pre-teen, but now I had been winning tournaments in Florida with Gardner Mulloy for four straight summers. Mr. Mulloy and I became incredibly close. I was rewarded with lessons based on the amount of work that I put in. He was strict, but it helped make me who I am.

At this time, I was a military student at Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, Florida. It wasn’t a tennis school, but it was more than any local school in the Bahamas could offer my athletic career. Mom helped me get a scholarship through the Port Authority, and I always said I certainly would be coming back one day to Grand Bahama Island to pay off that debt of kindness and give back to my hometown. During junior year at the Air Academy, I played the district championships for the first time. None of the high school players competing knew of me, and I went on to win against the number one dominating player at the time. Next, I qualified and made a very respectable showing at the Florida State Championships.

The athletic recruitment offers began to swarm in from universities all across the US. 

THE Ohio State University flew me out for a campus visit in April of my senior year at the Air Academy. The minute I got there, I knew this was the place for me. I was sold. I met all the guys on the team and signed the letter of intent a week after I got back. I would have signed sooner if not for having to break the news to the other schools that made offers. 

I started out in the number three spot on the tennis team, but I craved to play at number one. During my sophomore through senior years, I did just that.

Throughout my time in college, I would play tournaments in the summer. I got into the National Amateur Hardcourt Championships, which was inclusive of a vast number of national collegiate top players, and I won it.

Winning that tournament, I earned a wild card into a pro tour event played in Cleveland called, The Buckeyes Boys Ranch tour event. While competing, I got a dose of my own medicine and lost hard. I was so nervous. I needed that loss. I had work to do, and work is something I was never afraid of.

I went back to school my senior year and worked hard mornings and nights just like I did at 11 years old against that green concrete practice wall. 

Before the year’s end, I dominated the Big Ten Conference. I won both singles and doubles conference titles. Then, I went to NCAA Championships and reached the round of 16 in both singles and doubles.  

During my career at The Ohio State University, I set a number of records and still to this day, I hold the most career wins of any player ever!

Finally, it was time to go pro.

In case you were wondering, yes, I did make it to the US Open, and amongst many lifelong goals accomplished, I did meet the man who really started it all for me, Mr. Arthur Ashe, right there on the courts in Queens, NY.

Collegiate career: The Ohio State University ‘86

Smith became the number one player (still to this day): holding the most wins of any player ever, dominating the big ten titles (singles and doubles) & making the NCAA junior and senior year (singles and doubles).

ATP DOUBLES Career Highlights

Titles:

1988 — Tel Aviv ( w/ Paul Wekesa ) (Outdoor/Hard)

1991 — Brasilia ( w/ Kent Kinnear ) (Outdoor/Carpet)

1996 — Shanghai ( w/ Mark Knowles ) (Indoor/Carpet)

Notable Wins:

• The Bryan Brothers [Most successful duo of all time, ranked #1 world doubles team for 438 weeks and won numerous Olympic medals & grand slam titles.]

• Mark Woodford and Todd Woodbridge (“The Woodies”) [11 Grand Slam titles and Olympic gold medals]

• Represented the Bahamas for 15 years in Davis Cup and 2 Olympics [Barcelona and Atlanta]

ATP SINGLES Career Highlights

1986-1997

• Ivan Lendl [Ranked #1— and 9 time Grand Slam champion]

• Pete Sampras [Ranked #1— and 14 time Grand Slam champion]

• Michael Chang [Ranked #2— and French Open Champion]

• Pat Cash [Ranked #4— and Wimbledon champion]

• Malavai Washington [Ranked #11— and Wimbledon finalist]

• Greg Ruzedski [Ranked #4— and US Open finalist.]

• Marc Rosset [Top 10— and Barcelona Olympic champion]

• Jonas Svensson [Top 10— and 2 time French Open semi-finalist]

• Tim Henman [Ranked #11 — and 6 time Grand Slam semi-finalist]

Achieved ITF Davis Cup Commitment Award for players that have shown long standing dedications to representing their country.

I really began my journey as a coach going back to where I got my start: The Bahamas. At 35 years old, I never thought that I would get into coaching, but I quickly learned that would be my true purpose in life. I became the director of the 1st Bahamas National Tennis Center.

I have always had a soft heart for those that don’t know how to get from point A to point B. Therein-lied my calling to coach: I always gravitate to help, explain, and guide.

Today, I am honored to coach some of the greatest names on the court. I train my athletes from all over the world, accompanying them on their paths to going pro and throughout their careers.

ATP & WTA (Gold) Private Touring Coach

2010-Present

• Sloane Stephens (From 800 ranking to Top 50)

• Donald Young (Most notably, ending an 18 match losing streak after 2 weeks of working together.)

• Varvara Lepchenko (WTA world ranking of 29)

• Nicole Gibbs (From 150 ranking to 68)

• Darian King

• Marcos Giron

• Danielle Lao

National Coach, USTA, USA

2003-2010

• Coached and developed US Grand Slam hopefuls (Boys and Girls).

• Organized, ran, and oversaw High Performance Development camps and training.

• Captained Junior Davis Cup & Fed Cup Championship Teams.

• Captained the 1st U.S. Junior Fed Cup Championship Team in US History: Sloane Stephens, Christina McHale, Kristy Ahn.

• Developed and coached junior U.S. Grand Slam champions (singles and doubles): Sloane Stephens, Mallory Burdette, Jesse Levine, Michael Shabaz, Donald Young.

• Coached junior players to very respectful ATP and WTA world rankings.

• Instrumental in speaking and coaching at educational seminars to private, regional U.S. coaches and tournament directors. (speaking to the better understanding of the goals and philosophies of the USTA High Performance Development and talent identity.)

Owner, Director and Head Pro, “The Tennis Place”, Bahamas

2000-2003

• Developed and ran junior programs of all ages and skill levels.

• Organized clinics, club team matches and leagues.

• Coached touring professionals.

Managing Director & Head Pro, National Tennis Center, Bahamas

1998-2000

• Spearheaded the first junior elite and development tennis program.

• Developed and ran junior programs for all ages and skill levels.

• National Junior coach of high-performance players.

• Developed the next Bahamian champions.

• Coached #1 ranked ATP Doubles team of Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor

• Davis Cup & Olympic player-captain