On 53rd and State is the XS Tennis Village – a gem of a building that represents a citadel to what can happen when you are determined, inspired, and passionate.
That was the dream of Kamau Murray, who began playing tennis at age seven in Chicago’s public parks. There, he found his calling. He had a strong foundation as his father was an attorney and his mother was a high school assistant principal. His entrée into tennis was very serendipitous as his mother was pondering how to keep then seven-year-old Kamau busy one summer. She happened upon a Chicago Park where tennis was an activity. When she discovered lessons and involvement were affordable, she realized she had found a way to keep him busy that summer. At that moment, he started on a tennis journey that would lead to global recognition and the realization of his dream.
After graduating from Whitney Young High School, he received a tennis scholarship to Florida A&M University.
During his sophomore year, he was a member of the tennis team that won a conference title. Eager to put his strategic decisions to broader use, he became a Graduate Assistant Coach. Eventually, he earned his MBA degree.
Always on his mind, his vision for a Tennis Village crystallized. He aspired to create a vessel where minority children would learn tennis fundamentals and maybe even use the village as a pipeline to a professional career in tennis. He continued to nurture his dream which now had a name: XS Tennis. While laying its foundation, he worked in Corporate America for ten years.
When professional tennis player Sloane Stephens was seeking a coach, she hired Kamau. His tennis acumen had earned her admiration and, she took a chance. His coaching proved to be the antidote that catapulted her to winning the US Open. Immediately, his reputation earned a boost and he became a much-admired coach.
As Sloane was reaching her tennis apex, his dream was beginning to take shape. The land that once housed the Robert Taylor Homes became the site of XS Tennis. Plying his corporate skills, he secured funders willing to make his dream a reality. He also able to secure nearly $3 million in tax subsidies.
In June 2015, ground was broken on this inviting facility. Initially, the cost was over $12 million but, due to the need to move sewer and power lines, the cost was upped to $16.9 million.
But the vision became a reality when it opened its doors in 2018. Hailed as “the nation’s largest minority tennis organization” XS Tennis Village takes up 116,000 square feet. Its focus is tennis with 27 courts that are both indoors and outdoors. There is also a track, fitness center, basketball gym, rooms for community and classrooms. XS Tennis has free tennis programs that serve 4,000 Chicago Public Schools. And, like Murray earned a tennis scholarship, XS Tennis will also put scholarships in place.
The XS mission has now added the XS Tennis and Edu-cation Foundation XSTEF whose mission “is to provide Chicago’s underserved youth with an enriching safe-hav-en and positive pathway to college through a communi-ty-based tennis and academic enrichment program.” The XS website articulates the roots, history and goals of the Foundation.
XSTEF emerged from XS Tennis, a program that started in 2005 on Chicago’s South Side with a small cohort of tennis players. These players proudly learned to play in Dunbar Park in the summer, and the unheated Nation-al Guard Armory on 51st and Cottage Grove during the winter. Their grit, pride, charisma, and success sparked interest from other children around Chicago from dif-ferent socio economic backgrounds. With the thought
In June 2015, ground was broken on this inviting facility. Initially, the cost was over $12 million but, due to the need to move sewer and power lines, the cost was upped to $16.9 million.
But the vision became a reality when it opened its doors in 2018. Hailed as “the nation’s largest minority tennis organization” XS Tennis Village takes up 116,000 square feet. Its focus is tennis with 27 courts that are both indoors and outdoors. There is also a track, fitness center, basketball gym, rooms for community, and classrooms. XS Tennis has free tennis programs that serve 4,000 Chicago Public Schools. And, like Murray earned a tennis scholarship, XS Tennis will also put scholarships in place.
The XS mission has now added the XS Tennis and Edu-cation Foundation XSTEF whose mission “is to provide Chicago’s underserved youth with an enriching safe-haven and positive pathway to college through a community-based tennis and academic enrichment program.” The XS website articulates the roots, history, and goals of the Foundation.
XSTEF emerged from XS Tennis, a program that started in 2005 on Chicago’s South Side with a small cohort of tennis players. These players proudly learned to play in Dunbar Park in the summer, and the unheated National Guard Armory on 51st and Cottage Grove during the winter. Their grit, pride, charisma, and success sparked interest from other children around Chicago from different socio-economic backgrounds. With the thought
