Leftwich staff prepares for the opening of Memphis’ tennis mecca

By Phil Stukenborg – Daily Memphian

November 23, 2023

The grand opening of the new Leftwich Tennis Center is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 11, and anticipation is high among both players and staff.

“We can’t wait. We know it’s going to be chaotic, but it’s going to feel like Christmas for us,” said CEO Scott Mitchell. “Christmas is coming early.”

Mitchell, new to Memphis, recognizes the excitement surrounding the 36-court complex located on Southern Avenue at Goodlett Street. The $31.5 million facility — a public-private partnership involving the city, the University of Memphis, private donors, and Tennis Memphis — includes 12 indoor courts and will serve as the home for the University of Memphis men’s and women’s tennis teams.

Tennis Memphis, a nonprofit founded in 2002, will operate the city-owned facility. The center is designed to host NCAA Tournament events, adult leagues, and professional tournaments. Public court fees will be $16 for 90 minutes outdoors and $40 for 90 minutes indoors, with prepaid options available.

The new complex replaces the original Leftwich Tennis Center, which had eight outdoor and four indoor courts. It also restores a major tennis venue to East Memphis, following the closure of the Racquet Club on Sanderlin Avenue.

Mitchell said the expanded facility will allow Tennis Memphis to grow its Tennis & Tutoring and National Junior Tennis League programs, as well as other youth and adult offerings, while strengthening outreach across the city.

His leadership team includes former University of Memphis men’s tennis coach Paul Goebel as director of tennis and Melinda Hoehn as director of business operations.

“We’ve been getting calls and emails all day, every day,” Hoehn said. “It’s exciting. I just love that people want to be here as much as we want them to be here.”

Mitchell brings more than 30 years of experience in the tennis industry, including managing large facilities and serving on multiple USTA committees. He previously served as CEO of Premier Sport International in Gainesville, Florida, where he worked with both public and private tennis facilities and helped manage professional events, including ATP tournaments in Atlanta and Dallas and the U.S. Women’s Clay Court Championships.

“I’ve managed facilities of this size,” Mitchell said. “I understand the logistics of staffing, programming, and what it takes to get everything running smoothly.”

He has also served as tournament director for numerous minor professional events and contributed to ATP Tour operations.

Looking ahead, Mitchell hopes to bring professional tennis back to Memphis, albeit on a smaller scale than the long-running ATP Tour event once held at the Racquet Club.

“I know hosting tournaments and large events is a priority for us,” he said. “Possibly bringing back professional events of some nature — something smaller — is exciting.”

Memphis previously hosted an ATP Tour event for more than 40 years, featuring champions such as Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, and Andy Roddick. The final tournament was held in 2017, and the Racquet Club closed in 2019.

Mitchell recently served as tournament director for a $60,000 professional women’s event in California and continues to advise others in the industry.

“We’d like to host lower-level pro circuit events here for the men or women, or both,” he said.

Such events could also benefit the University of Memphis by serving as a recruiting tool. Former Tigers players have previously trained with professionals and competed in ATP events held in the city.

Paul Goebel emphasized that while Leftwich will be a major hub, Tennis Memphis operates six facilities citywide, totaling 78 courts.

“My focus is making sure all centers are doing well,” Goebel said. “Our mission is growing tennis in the community and making it accessible to everyone.”

He added that Leftwich is expected to host school matches and become a central gathering place for local tennis.

“Lots of schools are showing interest,” he said. “This is going to be a really nice hub for tennis.”

Mitchell said the opportunity to lead such a large, modern facility in a city eager for expanded tennis opportunities was a major draw.

“This is something entirely new — not just a renovation, but a whole new level,” he said.

Once operations are running smoothly at Leftwich, Mitchell plans to focus on improving other Tennis Memphis facilities.

“We have a long list of things we want to accomplish,” he said.