Martin Blackman

Arthur Ashe once called Martin Blackman "The next great American champion."

Things did not work out as expected for Blackman, as his top junior career did not translate to success on the ATP Tour. Blackman had a short stint on the Tour and was ranked as high as 158th in the world at one point.

As USTA’s new director of player development, Martin Blackman will succeed Patrick McEnroe and bring his keen insight and perspective into evolving from a junior to a professional. He will know the pitfalls, as well as the path, to greatness.

As a terrific player, savvy coach and academy director, Martin Blackman has seen it all. He is also no stranger to USTA Player Development, having served as director of talent identification for several years and was instrumental in bringing private tennis academies into the USTA development system. Blackman released a statement upon the announcement of his hiring promising to reach out to past American champions for advice and input.

Many, including USTA CEO Gordon Smith, see this hire as a reaffirmation of the current player development system.

I hope not.

The USTA Player Development System needs reform and the next great American champion will be born from passion, not politics.

I hope Martin Blackman will rise above the current system and bring a vision of greatness to the future of U.S. tennis.

USTA NTC
Century

March/April 2024 Digital Edition