>> Sreenivasan: TOMORROW MARKS

THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE

FIRST U.S. OPEN TENNIS

TOURNAMENT HERE IN NEW YORK.

THE MAIN STADIUM AT THE FLUSHING

QUEENS FACILITY IS NAMED FOR THE

FIRST WINNER OF THE TOURNAMENT,

AFRICAN-AMERICAN TENNIS CHAMPION

ARTHUR ASHE.

BUT WHILE PLAYERS LIKE THE

WILLIAMS SISTERS AND SLOANE

STEPHENS HAVE DOMINATED AMERICAN

WOMEN'S TENNIS FOR THE LAST 20

YEARS, AMERICAN MEN HAVE NOT

FARED NEARLY AS WELL.

IT'S BEEN 15-YEARS SINCE ANDY

RODDICK PLAYED IN THE U.S. OPEN

FINALS, THE LAST GRAND SLAM

CHAMPIONSHIP WON BY AN AMERICAN

MALE.

NEWSHOUR WEEKEND'S CHRISTOPHER

BOOKER RECENTLY TALKED WITH

U.S.T.A. PRESIDENT KATRINA ADAMS

ABOUT AMERICA'S INABILITY TO

FIELD TOP-TIER MALE PLAYERS, AND

HOW EFFORTS TO DIVERSIFY THE

GAME MAY CHANGE THAT.

THIS STORY IS PART OF OUR

ONGOING SERIES ABOUT POVERTY AND

OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA: CHASING

THE DREAM.

>> WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SNAP IT?

I'M NOT GOOD AT SELFIES.

>> Reporter: EVEN THOUGH IT HAS

BEEN NEARLY 20 YEARS SINCE

KATRINA ADAMS LAST PLAYED

PROFESSIONALLY, FANS STILL

CLAMOR TO HAVE THEIR PICTURE

TAKEN WITH HER.

AS THE FIRST FORMER PROFESSIONAL

PLAYER TO SERVE AS CHAIRMAN OF

THE BOARD AND PRESIDENT OF THE

U.S. TENNIS ASSOCIATION AND

CHAIR OF THE U.S. OPEN, ADAMS

HAS ONE OF THE BROADEST RESUMES

IN TENNIS.

FROM HER EARLIEST DAYS LEARNING

TO PLAY IN CHICAGO, TO HER 12

YEARS ON THE W.T.A. TOUR, SHE

HAS LIVED AND BREATHED THE GAME

FOR MOST OF HER LIFE.

>> THE U.S. OPEN.

COME ON MAN, THIS IS NEW YORK.

ITS LIVE ITS HAPPENING, ITS

SHOW TIME.

>> Reporter: BUT WHEN KATRINA

ADAMS STARTED PLAYING TENNIS IN

1975, IT WAS ARTHUR ASHE WHO

EVERYONE WANTED A PICTURE OF.

SEVEN YEARS AFTER HIS 1968 U.S.

OPEN WIN HAD BLOWN OPEN THE

DOORS OF U.S. TENNIS FOR AFRICAN

AMERICAN MEN, ASHE WAS A

SENSATION.

>> IT MEANT A LOT TO SEE HIM

PLAYING THIS SPORT THAT I HAD

JUST PICKED UP.

YOU GO BACK TO 1968 AND YOU LOOK

AT WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN AMERICA

FROM A CIVIL RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE

FROM A HUMANITARIAN PERSPECTIVE.

AND THEN YOU SEE ARTHUR ASHE WIN

AND RAISE THAT TROPHY AND YOU

KNOW THERE'S NO GREATER MOMENT

IN HISTORY I THINK FOR US IN

TENNIS THAN THAT BECAUSE IT

REALLY STARTED TO TRANSCEND AND

TRANSFORM HOW TENNIS WAS VIEWED

IN AMERICA.

>> Reporter: ASHE'S ADDITIONAL

GRAND SLAM WINS IN AUSTRALIA IN

1970, AND WIMBLEDON IN 1975,

ESTABLISHED HIM AS ONE THE

WORLD'S GREATEST.

BUT HIS TRIUMPHS STAND AS THE

LAST TIME AN AMERICAN MALE

PLAYER OF COLOR HAS WON THOSE

EVENTS.

MICHAEL CHANG WON THE FRENCH

OPEN IN 1989, THE LAST TIME A

NON-WHITE, AMERICAN MAN HAS

WON A GRAND SLAM SINGLES FINAL.

IN 1996 HE WAS THE LAST AMERICAN

MALE PERSON OF COLOR TO EVEN

APPEAR IN A GRAND SLAM FINAL.

AMERICAN MEN HAVE WON 98 OF THE

364 GRAND SLAMS PLAYED SINCE

1924, ONLY SIX OF THOSE WERE

WON BY PEOPLE OF COLOR, JUST

OVER 6%.

THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN IMPROVING.

OF THE 18 AMERICANS WHO

QUALIFIED FOR THIS YEAR'S U.S.

OPEN, FOUR ARE PLAYERS OF

COLOR.

29-YEAR-OLD DONALD YOUNG,

23-YEAR-OLD MACKENZIE McDONALD,

20-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL MMOH AND

20-YEAR-OLD-FRANCES TIAFOE.

THAT REPRESENTS 22% OF THE MALE

U.S PLAYERS.

>> THEY'RE DEVELOPING.

THEY ARE CONTINUING TO RISE IN

THE RANKS.

WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF GOOD YEARS

HERE.

YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE OF OTHER

YOUNGER YOUNGSTERS COMING UP IN

FRANCIS TIAFOE, TAYLOR FRITZ,

MACKY MACDONALD HAD AN

UNBELIEVABLE SHOWING AT

WIMBLEDON.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF PLAYERS

THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE THAT

ARE THAT ARE COMING UP AND IN

TIME THEY WILL BE BACK AT THE

TOP OF THE RANKS.

>> Reporter: AN INTEGRAL PART OF

DEVELOPING A PIPELINE, IS

FINDING AND CULTIVATING UNTAPPED

TALENT IN UNDERREPRESENTED

COMMUNITIES.

AFTER WINNING THE U.S. OPEN IN

1968, ARTHUR ASHE CO-FOUNDED THE

NATIONAL JUNIOR TENNIS LEAGUE,

THE N.J.T.L.

SINCE ITS FOUNDING, HUNDREDS OF

THOUSANDS OF KIDS IN UNDERSERVED

AREAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE

GONE THROUGH PROGRAMS UNDER THE

N.J.T.L.

>> IF I TAP YOU, I WANT YOU TO

STEP FORWARD TO THIS LINE.

>> Reporter: THE JUNIOR TENNIS

CHAMPIONS CENTER, THE J.T.C.C.,

HAS BEEN PROVIDING FREE TENNIS

LESSONS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND

THE SURROUNDING AREA FOR NEARLY

A DECADE.

>> SOME OF YOU ARE GOING TO BE

ON THIS COURT, SOME OF YOU ARE

GOING TO BE OVER THERE.

CAN I HAVE A HIGH-FIVE?

THAT WAS DOPE.

>> Reporter: THROUGHOUT THE

EIGHT WEEK SESSION, COACH

ANNESSA TAYLOR AND THE OTHER

COACHES ARE WATCHING CLOSELY,

LOOKING FOR ONE OR TWO KIDS WHO

NOT ONLY SHOW ABILITY, BUT SEEM

PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN

TENNIS.

WHAT MAKES ONE KID STAND OUT

FROM ANOTHER AT THIS LEVEL?

>> IT IS ALMOST THAT GLOW OR

THAT EXCITEMENT TO BE HERE.

YOU CAN TELL THAT ONE KID WHO

HAS NEVER PICKED UP A RACKET

BEFORE BUT THEY'RE HAPPY TO HAVE

A RACKET IN THEIR HAND AND

THEY'RE EAGER TO LEARN WHEN

THEY'RE SITTING THERE HUGGING

THEIR RACQUETS, WHEN THEY'RE

SITTING IN THAT READY POSITION,

WHEN THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THE

BALL.

I THINK THAT'S WHEN YOU REALLY

SEE THAT POTENTIAL IN THAT KID

BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE I CAN DO

THIS.

I CAN FOCUS.

I LOVE IT.

HMM, LETS TRY WITH THIS ONE.

>> Reporter: OF THE ROUGHLY 400

CHILDREN WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE

CLINICS, ABOUT 30 WILL BE

OFFERED SCHOLARSHIPS TO ATTEND

TRAINING SESSIONS AT J.T.C.C.'S

FACILITY IN COLLEGE PARK

MARYLAND.

AND THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE KEY.

FOR A HANDFUL PLAYERS, THIS CAN

BE THE BEGINNING OF A TENNIS AND

EDUCATION PROGRAM WITH THE

J.T.C.C. THAT CAN LAST UNTIL

THEY ARE 18.

MANY OF THEM WILL GO ON TO PLAY

IN COLLEGE AND PROFESSIONALLY.

13-YEAR-OLD ROBIN MONTGOMERY,

WHO STARTED IN ONE OF THESE

PROGRAMS, WON A JUNIOR NATIONAL

TITLE THIS YEAR.

AND SCHOLARSHIPS HELPED FRANCES

TIAFOE TRAIN AT THE CENTER SINCE

HE WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD.

NOW AT AGE 20, TIAFOE IS RANKED

42nd IN THE WORLD.

>> YOUNGER PLAYERS LIKE FRANCES

ARE BRINGING UP TENNIS IN THIS

COMMUNITY, SO MORE PEOPLE ARE

WANTING TO PLAY.

>> Reporter: 19-YEAR-OLD JUSTICE

JONES STARTED AT THE J.T.C.C.

WHEN HE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD.

NOW A SOPHOMORE IN COLLEGE, HE

PLAYS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF

DELAWARE.

>> I DEFINITELY THINK MY

GENERATION, AND INCLUDING ME, WE

ARE PART OF A CHANGE IN THE

GAME, BECAUSE USUALLY PEOPLE

LIKE ME, THEY JUST WANT TO PLAY

BASKETBALL, FOOTBALL, AND ALL

THOSE OTHER SPORTS, BUT WE ARE

PUSHING TO PLAY TENNIS NOW.

>> Reporter: BUT TENNIS CAN BE

AN EXPENSIVE JOURNEY IF YOU WANT

TO PLAY COMPETITIVELY.

>> OUR SPORT IS VERY CHEAP TO

LEARN HOW TO PLAY.

IT'S FREE FOR THE MOST PART.

BUT ONCE YOU DEVELOP AND YOU

START TO GET ON A COMPETITIVE

TRACK IT'S NOT SO CHEAP.

>> Reporter: THE J.T.C.C.

ESTIMATES THAT IF A YOUNG PERSON

GOES THROUGH THEIR ENTIRE

PROGRAM, IT COMES WITH A PRICE

TAG OF NEARLY $300,000.

THERE IS THE COST OF COACHING,

COST OF TRAVEL TO TOURNAMENTS,

ENTRY FEES AND EQUIPMENT,

TRAINERS, ALL OF WHICH IS PAID

FOR BY THE INDIVIDUAL, NOT A

TEAM.

>> EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE YOU KNOW

HUNDREDS OF PROGRAMS AROUND THE

COUNTRY.

IF YOUR PARENTS AREN'T IN A

POSITION TO EVEN HAVE THE

RESOURCES TO FIND THAT PROGRAM

IT'S NOT THEIR FIRST THOUGHT

BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING OK YOU

CAN MAKE $100 MILLION OVER HERE

PLAYING BASKETBALL OR FOOTBALL

OR BASEBALL.

YOU MIGHT MAKE $100,000 PLAYING

TENNIS.

>> Reporter: NOW FOR WOMEN, IT

IS THE SAME, BUT THE EXTERNAL

FACTORS ARE DIFFERENT.

IF YOU ARE A TOP-TIER ATHLETIC

WOMAN, THERE ARE FEW

PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES FOR YOU TO

PLAY IN.

CERTAINLY NOTHING AS LUCRATIVE

AS TENNIS CAN BE FOR THE TOP

PLAYERS.

BUT IF YOU'RE A MALE, STAND OUT

ATHLETE LIKE LEBRON JAMES', WHO

GREW UP PLAYING ON THE

BASKETBALL COURTS IN AKON, OHIO,

THE COURTS OF THE U.S. OPEN MAY

HAVE SEEMED LIKE A LESS

LUCRATIVE OPTION.

>> HE'S A PHENOMENAL ATHLETE.

I THINK IF HE CHOSE TENNIS AND

HE WANTED TO BE THE NEXT ARTHUR

ASHE AS AFRICAN-AMERICAN GRAND

SLAM CHAMPION HE PROBABLY WOULD

HAVE BEEN THAT.

I WOULD SAY AND I WOULD HOPE

THAT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT

WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE NOW THAT

IT TAKES TIME FOR THAT SEED TO

BE WATERED AND START TO GROW

AND STRENGTHEN AND MAYBE FIVE TO

10 YEARS AWAY FROM REALLY SEEING

AN INFLUX OF TALENT OF COLOR.

>> Reporter: AND WHAT HAPPENS IS

FRANCES TIAFOE WINS THE OPEN

THIS YEAR?

>> FRANCIS TIAFOE WINS THE OPEN

THIS YEAR I'M GOING TO DO

CARTWHEELS.

I'LL TELL YOU THAT WOULD BE

AMAZING TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.

I MEAN OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE GOT THE

LIKES OF RAFAEL NADAL, ROGER

FEDERER, NOVAK DJOKOVIC, THESE

TOP GUYS THAT ARE PLAYING

REALLY WELL.

AND YOU KNOW I THINK HE'S PRIMED

TO DO WELL.

BUT IT'S ANYBODY'S MATCH AT THE

END OF THE DAY.

AND I THINK IF WE CAN GET HIM ON

THAT FINAL STAGE ON TELEVISION

WHERE THE WORLD IS TUNED IN, WE

CAN GET MORE YOUNG KIDS OF COLOR

THAT ARE WATCHING HIM PERHAPS HE

CAN JUST START THAT WAVE THAT

VENUS AND SERENA DID JUST A FEW

YEARS BACK.