International Tennis Hall of Fame

Bonnie Dayle Logan

Black Tennis Hall of Fame
Born 1949
Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Born 1949
Durham, North Carolina, USA
Bonnie Logan made history in 1971 when she became the first Black woman to compete in the Virginia Slims Tennis Tour. Photo courtesy of Lange Johnson

Logan began competing in and winning tennis tournaments at a young age. At Hillside High School in Durham, North Carolina, Logan was the undefeated National Interscholastic Girls’ singles champion. She captured the Maryland Girls’ 14-and-Under, 16-and-Under, and 18-and-Under championships. While attending Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, Logan originally played for the women’s tennis team. Her skill was far beyond that of her teammates, however, so Logan petitioned to join the men’s team. As a result, Logan and Anne Koger were the only two female players on the men’s tennis team from 1969 to 1972. Logan played No. 2 on the team and won her flight in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tennis Championships. She was the first woman to do so. Logan played other sports at Morgan State as well and received five Varsity letters. In 1983, she was an MSU Varsity M Athletic Hall of Fame inductee.

From 1964 to 1970, Logan was the ATA National Women’s Singles Champion seven consecutive times. She won four ATA National Mixed Doubles titles and one ATA Women’s Doubles titles as well. Logan performed incredibly well at tournaments such as the Eastern Carolina Closed Championship in 1968 where she captured both the singles and doubles titles. In 1970, Logan became the North Carolina State Closed Champion in singles and doubles. Logan made history again in 1971 when she became the first African-American woman to compete in the Virginia Slims Tennis Tour. Unfortunately, it was very difficult to survive on the professional tour without financial support by a corporate sponsor or family. Logan lacked such support due to her race, which caused her professional career to be prematurely curtailed.

In 2009, Logan was inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame. Logan was a 2012 North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame inductee.

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