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Before the advent of Open Tennis in 1968, amateurs and pros could not play against one another. If they accepted money for playing tennis, they could no longer play in any of the major events, including Wimbledon or the U.S. Championships.
Visionaries like Jack Kramer and Bobby Riggs set up their own tournaments, with tennis stars crisscrossing the U.S. driving all night in cars, braving snow storms, and plane crashes to play on the “barnstorming circuit.”
Tennis Channel has aptly chronicled this story in the documentary, The Barnstormers — The Birth of Professional Tennis, which follows the world's best tennis stars as they took to the open road in the 1950s, playing in high school gyms, barns, and other local venues as an attraction to get paid for what they loved to do most. Play tennis.
An exclusive preview of the documentary took place during BNP Paribas Open week at a spectacular private equestrian estate in La Quinta hosted by HK Lane Real Estate/Christie's International Real Estate.
The event attracted legendary Australian tennis player Rod Laver, one of the sport's original “Barnstormer,” who signed copies of his autobiography for invited television and tennis industry guests. Laver twice won the sport’s Grand Slam — victories at the Australian, French, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in a single year.
Barnstormers, A Tennis Channel Signature Series, www.tennischannel.com
(From left) Eileen Lu and Kim Kelly, HK Lane Realtors; Zack Wright, senior vice president, Western Regional Manager, Christie’s International Real Estate; Paula Ziegler, and Peggy Vogelsang.
(From left) Zack Wright, senior vice president, Western Regional Manager, Christie’s International Real Estate; Harvey Katofsky, founder, president, and CEO of HK Lane Real Estate; Kim Kelly, HK Lane Realtor, and Doug Martz, senior vice president of advertising sales for Tennis Channel.
Ken Solomon, President of Tennis Channel, speaks at the event.
Former tennis great Rod Laver (left) and Ken Solomon, President of Tennis Channel.
Rod Laver signs copies of his autobiography during the event in La Quinta.
Neil Roberts, executive director of marketing for Tennis Channel.
(From left) Steve Solomon, former pro players Todd Martin and Rod Laver, and Ken Solomon, President of Tennis Channel.
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(From left) Gordon Smith, executive director and COO of the United States Tennis Association, Rod Laver, and Ken Solomon, President of Tennis Channel.
(From left) Glen Montgomery, Karen Bradner, and Vicky Franz watch the documentary.
An equestrian estate in La Quinta served as the site for the Tennis Channel event.