Southern Tennis Hall of Fame

Patrick Dupre, Alabama, 2013

Patrick Dupre, Alabama, inducted in 2013

Born in Belgium, his family moved to the United States where he became a top junior player in Alabama winning 3 Alabama high school state tennis championships and in 1972 became the number ranked 18U junior in the nation in singles and doubles
Member of NCAA Championship teams in 1973 and 1974 at Stanford, named All-American all 4 years and was awarded the Rafael Osuna Award for excellence in sportsmanship and leadership
Became a major force on the men’s pro circuit in the late 1970’s and 1980’s, reached a ranking of number 12 in the world in 1980, and was ranked in the top 20 in the world in doubles between 1979 and 1981
Won a singles title in Hong Kong, was a 9 time finalist in singles and won 4 doubles titles on the ATP World Tour
Reached the semifinals of Wimbledon and the quarterfinals of the U. S. Open
Continued his success on the Legends Tour through 1993 and became a high-ranking teaching professional in Georgia
Became first tennis player inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 and was inducted in the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame the following year and the International Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012

John Callen, Alabama & Georgia, inducted in 2013

Top junior player in Birmingham, Alabama where he was undefeated in high school varsity dual matches and was consistently ranked in the top 10 in the South, with a high singles ranking of #3 in the Boy’s 14U in 1967
Played 4 years at Georgia Tech where he was co-captain and played number 1 to number 4 singles and number 1 or number 2 doubles
Began a 15 year professional career in 1974, which included coaching the winning Georgia Junior Davis Cup team while honing his skills as a player, winning numerous Southern titles and reaching the number 1 ranking in the South in several age groups
Served as President of the Georgia Tennis Association, Vice-President and a member of the Management Committee for the Southern Tennis Association and trustee for the Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation
Named USTA Southern Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer in 1989 and has led the section through unprecedented success and growth and is respected among his peers as the top section executive director
Instrumental in the purchase of the sanction of the first ATP tournament on the U. S. Open Series in 2009 and his financial oversight helped turn the event into a profitable venture after only 2 years which later became a large windfall for Southern when the sanction was sold in 2015
Received the Touchstone Memorial Award in 1992 and was inducted into the Georgia Professional Tennis Hall of Fame, the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame and the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame

Don Varga, Kentucky, inducted in 2012

Co-founded the Louisville Tennis Club in 1970 and served as managing partner for 25 years while the club grew to 12 indoor courts and 14 outdoor clay courts
Established the Friends of Kentucky Tennis which has raised several $100,000 over the years for scholarships, grants and other special projects
Co-founded the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame
Served as President of the Kentucky Tennis Association and 8 years on the Southern Tennis Association Management Committee
Served a 3-year term as Southern Tennis Association President from 1990 to 1992, a challenging period of notable tennis expansion and leadership change in the South, and the section’s Adult League program experienced exceptional growth attracting a new group of adult players
Served as a USTA Delegate and member of the USTA Executive Committee in 1993 and 1994
Inducted into the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame

Emmett Paré, Louisiana, inducted in 2012

Had a notable playing career but made his mark as the longtime men’s head coach at Tulane University
One of the early stars of professional tennis and traveled with the legendary Bill Tilden in his first barnstorming tour in 1931
Became the head pro at the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club and head coach of men’s tennis at Tulane in 1933.
His record at Tulane over a 40 year span from the 1930’s to the 1970’s is unparalleled as he coached a consistent national power and dominated collegiate tennis in the South
Won 18 Southeastern Conference team championships including 9 straight from 1951 through 1959
Coached Tulane to the 1959 NCAA National Men’s Championship
Died in 1973 and was inducted posthumously into the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame in 1977, the International Tennis Collegiate Association Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985

Diane Fishburne Barker, South Carolina, inducted in 2012

Played number 1 singles and doubles at the College of Charleston where she won the 1978 AIAW Small College National Singles Championship
Played professional tennis in Belgium and taught tennis at Kiawah Island under Roy Barth when she returned to the United States
One of the top American senior players for more than 17 years winning over 35 USTA national singles and doubles championships and has held the number 1 United States singles ranking in numerous 35 thru 55 age groups and attained the number 1 singles ranking in the world in Women’s 55’s in 2012
Won 8 national titles in Mother/Son Doubles with son Matt, winning all 4 major championships (Grand Slam) in one year
Represented the United States on numerous international teams for over 15 years
Volunteer coach for special needs athletes, serves on the USTA South Carolina Adaptive & Special Olympics Tennis Committee and helped establish the Southern Special Populations Unified Doubles tournament held each summer which teams a unified partner with a special athlete in team competition
Won the South Carolina Adult Female Player of the year 3 times (1992, 1998 and 2015), the Slew Hester Southern Adult Female Player of the Year in 2013 and was inducted into the College of Charleston Athletic Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999