MANATEE COUNTY, FL (March 7, 2025) – Manatee County Sports & Leisure Services Department is renaming Court One at the C.V. Walton Racquet Center for local tennis legend Robert Davis.
Born in New York City in 1944, “Bobby D.” was introduced to tennis at the age of 8. A two-time American Tennis Association (ATA) National Champion, he won the ATA Junior National title and the Men's Doubles title with his brother, Hall-of-Famer Bill Davis ATA. He competed in the U.S. National Championships (U.S. Open) at Forest Hills and was a USTA Mixed Doubles National Champion in 2006.
"This is an opportunity to honor a titan of tennis here in Manatee County,” said Manatee County District 3 Commissioner Tal Siddique, who is scheduled to emcee the dedication ceremony. “His work gave generations of our youth the opportunity to succeed in life on and off the court. We’re excited to share this honor with Bob’s family and friends.”
Davis helped to create the Ashe/Bollettieri "Cities" Tennis Program (ABC) which later became the Arthur Ashe Safe Passage Foundation, introducing tennis to more than tens of thousands of inner-city children and providing health screenings, tutoring and academic support to children in cities across America.
Davis cowrote Nick Bollettieri’s autobiography, Bollettieri: Changing the Game. He also coached professional players, and in 2014, was added to the coaching delegation of the Jamaican Davis Cup Team.
He was inducted into the ATA’s New England Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2006, the Black Tennis Hall of Fame and the Tampa Bay Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014 and the USTA Eastern Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2022.
The ceremony to honor Davis, who passed away Jan 15, 2025, will be held Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at the C.V. Walton Racquet Center (5502 33rd Ave Dr. W., Bradenton), beginning at 10 a.m.