Arthur “Art” Carrington is a longtime tennis professional and a leading historian of Black tennis. Although he was a player who broke barriers and won championships, his most significant legacy is the world’s most comprehensive archive on Black tennis, which he carefully assembled.   

Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Carrington was introduced to tennis by his mother at 10 years old and started playing in junior tournaments at age 15. His success as a junior led to him playing tennis for Hampton College. He was the first student to receive a full sports-related scholarship at Hampton. In his first year, he reached the finals of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championship but fell short. However, Carrington went on to win the CIAA championship for the next three years (1967–1969).  

While in college, Carrington also competed in the American Tennis Association (ATA) National Championships. In 1966, he won his first doubles title with partner John Mudd, and they successfully defended it the following year. Carrington graduated from Hampton College in 1969 and began his career as a tennis pro at the Westfield Indoor Tennis Club in New Jersey. He remained active in ATA tournaments, reaching the singles final in 1972. Though he lost to Horace Reid, the match was historic as it was the first ATA match televised, aired by Boston Public Television with commentary by Bud Collins. Carrington returned to the championship match the following year and won the title.  

Carrington also served as a frequent practice partner of Arthur Ashe and competed against tennis legends such as Rod Laver, Björn Borg, and Vitas Gerulaitis. Like many Black tennis players of his era, Carrington faced obstacles not related to skill or dedication, but to limited access and opportunities. Motivated by these challenges, he dedicated his career to creating more opportunities for others. In 1980, he founded the Art Carrington Tennis Academy in Massachusetts, which is still in business today, where he has coached over 2,000 students during its operation.  

Carrington also worked to amass the largest archival collection related to Black tennis history. He holds a large collection of African American newspaper coverage of ATA tournaments. In 2009, Carrington published the book Black Tennis, An Archival Collection: 1890-1962. He also co-curated an exhibit with Dale Caldwell in partnership with the International Tennis Hall of Fame titled Breaking the Barriers: The American Tennis Association and Black Tennis Pioneers, which explores Black tennis history. The exhibit, which highlights Black tennis history in the United States, opened at the US Open before touring the country. The exhibit was developed by the ITHF into an online exhibition in 2021. 

Carrington’s impact, both on a large scale with the history he chronicled, and on a smaller scale with the individual impact on every child that attends his academy, is an invaluable piece of tennis history and efforts to make the sport more accessible.