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Above: Harry Hopman (1906-1985), founder of Bardmoor Tennis Academy (formerly Hopman Tennis Academy). |
Bardmoor's Legacy of Pride & Tradition: As a player, Hopman won seven major titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. As a coach, he produced 13 Wimbledon champions. Hopman came to the U.S. in 1969 and worked with All-American Sports to set up a camp at Amherst College, later moving to Port Washington Tennis Academy (NY) where he trained McEnroe and Gerulaitis. He entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1978. Hopman and his wife moved to the Tampa Bay area in 1975, where Hopman planned to lead and manage another local club. The following year, Hopman moved over to Bardmoor and started the Hopman Tennis Academy. In 2003, Bardmoor club member Bob Hagerman initiated an effort to recognize Hopman as founder of the club. A granite plaque was presented to his widow, Lucy Hopman, who still lives in the Bardmoor community in Largo, Florida. The plaque was later installed near the club tennis courts where it remains today. "I felt it was necessary to show how important Bardmoor became as a result of his being here," says Hagerman. "Harry was very careful about the pros he chose and required they be of good character," Mrs. Hopman remembers. "He believed anybody could become a good instructor but you needed to first start with a good person."
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