Katrina Adams

Katrina Adams has established a significant presence in tennis as both a professional player and executive leader. Adams competed for 12 years on the Women's Tennis Association Tour, securing 20 career doubles titles and reaching the quarterfinals or better in doubles at all four Grand Slam events. At Northwestern University, she partnered with Diane Donnelly to win the NCAA Division I Women's Doubles Championship, completing the season with a 24-match win streak. In her first year on the professional tour, Adams advanced to the Round of 16 in singles at Wimbledon.

Adams served as president, chairman, and CEO of the United States Tennis Association for two consecutive terms, becoming the only Black woman and the youngest person to hold the position in the organization's history. During her tenure, she oversaw the completion of the five-year, $600 million transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., and the opening of the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. Adams emphasized outreach to underserved communities, supporting the USTA's mission to broaden tennis participation.

In addition to her USTA leadership, Adams was elected vice president of the International Tennis Federation and appointed chairman of the Fed Cup Committee and the Gender Equality in Tennis Committee. She was later elected honorary life vice president of the International Tennis Federation. Adams also serves as executive director of the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program, focusing on youth development through tennis, education, and wellness initiatives.

Adams has been recognized on Adweek's Most Powerful Women in Sports list and Forbes' Most Powerful Women in Sports list, as well as Ebony's Power 100 list. She received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Northwestern University and the IOC Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Champions Award for her advocacy in sports. Adams is a co-host of "We Need To Talk" on CBS Sports Network and is the author of "Own the Arena: Getting Ahead, Making a Difference and Succeeding as the Only One," which addresses leadership, perseverance, and diversity in sports. Adams frequently speaks on topics including diversity and inclusion, gender equality, leadership, and personal development through sports.