Keith Richardson, a native of Rock Hill, S.C., defeated Kevin Curren (twice), John Lloyd, Eliot Teltscher, and Eddie Dibbs in his four-year run on the ATP Tour. In 1977, he hit a career-high singles world ranking of No. 63 and No. 146 in doubles in 1979.
2001 was a notable year for Richardson as he was inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame. The following year he was honored by the York County (S.C.) Sports Hall of Fame.
Richardson showed great promise at 13 when he won the Palmetto Open in 1967 at Belton, SC. He also triumphed at the South Carolina Open and the South Carolina Closed in Columbia. Those results earned him the top ranking in South Carolina and was ranked No. 3 in the South during his final year in the juniors. He was the state’s 1971 4A South Carolina High School Champion while attending Rock Hill High School. Richardson has been ranked No. 1 in men’s singles in three states: South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.
Appalachian State was where he played No. 1 in singles and doubles between 1971-75. He was a three-time Southern Conference singles and two-time doubles champion. He finished with a 109-11 record and was inducted into the Appalachian State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. He graduated from the University’s Walker School of Business, BSBA, in 1975.
In 1977, Richardson captured the singles title at the WATCH Masters Tournament in Daytona Beach. At the Birmingham (Ala.) Classic, he downed Curren, Mansour Baharami, John Austin, and Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Zan Guerry, taking all matches without losing a set. He played his first US Open that year.
Two years later, he captured the crown at the Tanglewood Classic in Winston-Salem, N.C., and was a doubles finalist with John James at the ATP Orange State Lumber Men’s Indoor, losing to Ilie Nastase and Steve Krulevitz. He advanced to the US Open third round that year before falling to Dick Stockton.
He served as Head Tennis Pro at the Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount, N.C., for three years and then moved into the Property & Casualty Insurance business. Additionally, he headed the North Carolina Association of Tennis Professionals as President and was selected as the North Carolina USPTA Tennis Pro of the Year in 1982.
He is an active senior player, competing in ITF and USTA 70 & over tournaments all over the U.S. College tennis coaching legend Ron Smarr nominated Richardson, and 2016 Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Rex Maynard wrote of Richardson, “Keith was an outstanding junior, college and professional player. He has had and continues to have success at every level and is an inductee of both the North and South Carolina Tennis Halls of Fame. … I have always found him to be kind, helpful, and supportive of tennis.”
A resident of Charlotte, N.C., Richardson’s family includes his wife, Marilyn; brother, David; son-in-law Scott Andrews; daughter, Sarah Richardson Andrews; son Keith, Jr.; grandson, William Davis Andrews; granddaughter, Brice Elizabeth Andrews.
Highlights
● Achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 63 and No. 146 in doubles.
● Inducted into these Halls of Fame: South Carolina, North Carolina, Appalachian State University Athletic Hall of Fame and the York County (S.C.) Sports Hall of Fame.
● Defeated Kevin Curren (twice), John Lloyd, Eliott Teltscher, and Eddie Dibbs while playing on the ATP Tour.
● Finished with a 109-11 record at Appalachian State. Named a “Legend” at Appalachian State, June, 2022
● Three-time Southern Conference singles and two-time doubles champion.
● Headed the North Carolina Association of Tennis Professionals as President. Named USPTA North Carolina Tennis Pro of the Year in 1982.
● Named to the Southern Conference 100th Anniversary Tennis Team, 2021.