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“I am very excited to be a part of the legendary Hall of Fame Tennis Club. I have a deep passion for the game and a strong appreciation for the history of this great sport. I am looking forward to being part of the club’s future, especially with the renovations and programming which are sure to be an integral part of the club in the years to come,” said Austin.

Austin joins the Hall of Fame Tennis Club at an exciting time, as the tennis facility is currently undergoing a major renovation and expansion project. The project will result in an all-new indoor facility with three hard courts, and the addition of three new indoor/outdoor courts. The club also offers 13 grass courts and 1 clay court. The indoor facility will open in late Spring 2015, the grass courts will open for the season in late May, and the new indoor/outdoor courts will open by late Summer 2015 to complete the project.

In his new role, Austin will oversee all tennis programming at the Hall of Fame Tennis Club, a year-round facility that has a highly active membership of adult and junior players and is also open to the public for drop in play. The club offers an extensive tennis instruction program, social play, USTA leagues, and, in his new role, Austin will continue to build and grow the club’s tennis programming.

“We are thrilled to welcome John Austin to lead the tennis staff at the Hall of Fame Tennis Club,” said International Tennis Hall of Fame CEO Todd Martin. “He has built successful and engaging tennis programs at some of the most popular clubs in the country, and we are eager to bring his expertise to our club to create a world-class experience for our members and guests.”

Austin competed on the ATP World Tour for six years, achieving a ranking of world No. 40. In 1980, he partnered with his sister, Hall of Famer Tracy Austin, to win a career-defining Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Championship. The pair also reached the Wimbledon mixed doubles final in 1981.

During his playing career, Austin achieved victories over then No. 1 John McEnroe, former French Open champion Yannick Noah, Andres Gomes, Wojtek Fibak, and Tim and Tom Gullikson. Prior to entering the professional ranks, Austin was a member of the victorious 1976 UCLA NCAA championship team and he was a 1978 NCAA doubles champion. He also reached the NCAA doubles final in 1977.

Upon his retirement from the professional tour, Austin became a coach for players including Pete Sampras, Michael Chang, Jim Grabb, Chuck Adams, Robbie Weiss, Alexandra Stevenson, and Amy Frazier to name a few. While pursuing his teaching career, Austin remained passionate about his own tennis, attaining two No. 1 USTA national rankings in the Men’s 40 Singles in 1997 and Men’s 35 Doubles in 2002.

Over the last 15 years, Austin has spent his time on court as the Director of Tennis at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, La Quinta Resort, City of Surprise, Arizona, and the Richmond County Country Club on Staten Island. He has skillfully developed unique adult and junior tennis programming, enhanced member experiences at the club level, and has inspired enthusiasm for the sport with tennis players at each facility.

The Hall of Fame Tennis Club facility dates back to 1880 and was the original site of the U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championships, the event that evolved to be today’s US Open. Over the past 130+ years, the courts have welcomed some of the world’s best players competing in ATP and WTA events, Davis Cups, and many other notable tennis events.