University of Georgia Athletics
Gordon Smith Leading Voice in Tennis
September 11, 2019 | Men's Tennis
NEW YORK -- Early last week, there were heavy downpours at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows where the United States Tennis Open Championship was played with Rafael Nadal taking first place in the men's final late Sunday afternoon.
While rain is never welcome at a major championship of any sport, precipitation would not have bothered anyone Sunday and hasn't at this event since a $150-million-dollar retractable roof was installed. The project was the responsibility of a Georgia boy, Gordon Smith, who grew up with a passion for hunting and fishing and playing tennis in Rome, the seat of Floyd Country.
He began planning for a retractable roof early on at the outset of his U.S. Open tenure, as the weather gods seemed to have something against him when the first five Opens on his watch were rained out. Those men's finals had to be completed on Monday.
Growing up, he became quite proficient at tennis which piqued the attention of the late Georgia tennis coach Dan Magill. Gordon was a prized recruit for the remarkable Magill whose Bulldog legacy will endure across our state. Gordon played on teams that swept four consecutive SEC titles during his time on campus. He was elected captain of his team and was SEC doubles champion his senior year in 1975.
When he earned his law degree and joined the prestigious firm of King and Spalding in Atlanta, he became a United States Tennis Association volunteer. He has the distinction of being a player, volunteer and executive. With the last, he became the buck-stops-here-officer of the biggest and most innovative tournament in the sport of tennis.
In addition to the retractable roof, Gordon has seen prize money increase by one hundred per cent since moving to Gotham a dozen years ago. At the time, he told his pretty wife, Jane, the daughter of a former President of the Orange Bowl Committee, Charlie Kimbrell, that they would only be locating in Manhattan only for a couple of years. This from a guy who thought he was finished with tennis except for recreational outings with friends when he was graduated from the University of Georgia.
As Executive Director of the Open, he has been a leading voice in the world of tennis for over a decade. He has spent considerable time at the other three Grand Slam tournaments: Wimbledon, the French Open and the Australian Open-- sporting events which he read about growing up but never expected to witness, let alone having administrative influence on the competitions they hosted.
The big names in tennis are his friends and associates including players such as Serena Williams and Roger Federer. Having retained his small town modesty, he doesn't talk about his relationships very much but is happy to confirm that Roger Federer is as warm in real life just as he appears on network television. "Of course," he smiles, "it is special that John Isner has often competed in our championship and my Georgia roommate and Bulldog head tennis coach, Manuel Diaz, always spends time at the Open. My UGA ties have enriched my life."
Gordon has always gotten a rush for the traditional fortnight of competition over the Labor Day weekend when New York is not so maddening. He has often said, the U. S. Open is like putting on a Super Bowl every day for two weeks. The new format, starting this year, called for an extended week, which became known as, "Fan Week." There were celebrations, appearances from the legends of the sport such as John McEnroe, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
When the U. S. Open is not taking place at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, you can stop by the expansive facility and see countless kids, especially minorities playing on the courts where the aforementioned legends and the current stars have competed.
Life away from tennis has been to enjoy "The City." He and Jane live on the Upper West Side in the 86th Street vicinity. When the weather allows, Gordon often bicycles from "The Battery" past the Statue of Liberty to the George Washington Bridge. Along the way he is warmed by the scenery which often causes him to reflect on the good life he has enjoyed. He reflects on his campus days and his association with his college coach, the legendary Dan Magill.
"I can say with the greatest sincerity, that the good fortune I have had in my life would likely not have come about had it not been for Coach Magill's influence."
Coming here for this great championship and enjoying it on Gordon Smith's watch has made the trip here especial. With Gordon running the U. S. Tennis Open and Billy Payne running the Masters, it is not lost on this observer that a pair of Bulldogs have brought elan to two of the greatest championships in the world of sport--sports one can play virtually all his/her life.
While rain is never welcome at a major championship of any sport, precipitation would not have bothered anyone Sunday and hasn't at this event since a $150-million-dollar retractable roof was installed. The project was the responsibility of a Georgia boy, Gordon Smith, who grew up with a passion for hunting and fishing and playing tennis in Rome, the seat of Floyd Country.
He began planning for a retractable roof early on at the outset of his U.S. Open tenure, as the weather gods seemed to have something against him when the first five Opens on his watch were rained out. Those men's finals had to be completed on Monday.
Growing up, he became quite proficient at tennis which piqued the attention of the late Georgia tennis coach Dan Magill. Gordon was a prized recruit for the remarkable Magill whose Bulldog legacy will endure across our state. Gordon played on teams that swept four consecutive SEC titles during his time on campus. He was elected captain of his team and was SEC doubles champion his senior year in 1975.
When he earned his law degree and joined the prestigious firm of King and Spalding in Atlanta, he became a United States Tennis Association volunteer. He has the distinction of being a player, volunteer and executive. With the last, he became the buck-stops-here-officer of the biggest and most innovative tournament in the sport of tennis.
In addition to the retractable roof, Gordon has seen prize money increase by one hundred per cent since moving to Gotham a dozen years ago. At the time, he told his pretty wife, Jane, the daughter of a former President of the Orange Bowl Committee, Charlie Kimbrell, that they would only be locating in Manhattan only for a couple of years. This from a guy who thought he was finished with tennis except for recreational outings with friends when he was graduated from the University of Georgia.
As Executive Director of the Open, he has been a leading voice in the world of tennis for over a decade. He has spent considerable time at the other three Grand Slam tournaments: Wimbledon, the French Open and the Australian Open-- sporting events which he read about growing up but never expected to witness, let alone having administrative influence on the competitions they hosted.
The big names in tennis are his friends and associates including players such as Serena Williams and Roger Federer. Having retained his small town modesty, he doesn't talk about his relationships very much but is happy to confirm that Roger Federer is as warm in real life just as he appears on network television. "Of course," he smiles, "it is special that John Isner has often competed in our championship and my Georgia roommate and Bulldog head tennis coach, Manuel Diaz, always spends time at the Open. My UGA ties have enriched my life."
Gordon has always gotten a rush for the traditional fortnight of competition over the Labor Day weekend when New York is not so maddening. He has often said, the U. S. Open is like putting on a Super Bowl every day for two weeks. The new format, starting this year, called for an extended week, which became known as, "Fan Week." There were celebrations, appearances from the legends of the sport such as John McEnroe, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
When the U. S. Open is not taking place at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, you can stop by the expansive facility and see countless kids, especially minorities playing on the courts where the aforementioned legends and the current stars have competed.
Life away from tennis has been to enjoy "The City." He and Jane live on the Upper West Side in the 86th Street vicinity. When the weather allows, Gordon often bicycles from "The Battery" past the Statue of Liberty to the George Washington Bridge. Along the way he is warmed by the scenery which often causes him to reflect on the good life he has enjoyed. He reflects on his campus days and his association with his college coach, the legendary Dan Magill.
"I can say with the greatest sincerity, that the good fortune I have had in my life would likely not have come about had it not been for Coach Magill's influence."
Coming here for this great championship and enjoying it on Gordon Smith's watch has made the trip here especial. With Gordon running the U. S. Tennis Open and Billy Payne running the Masters, it is not lost on this observer that a pair of Bulldogs have brought elan to two of the greatest championships in the world of sport--sports one can play virtually all his/her life.
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