Jaime Kaplan made news on the tennis court at the age of 9.
Her hometown of Macon, Ga., was hosting a pro tennis tournament and there were lots of ball boys, but only one ball girl. “The newspaper caption called me a ‘breakthrough for women’s lib,’ ” she laughed and said in a 2014 interview.
“I wanted to be a tennis pro since the first time I picked up a racquet. Some kids want to be a doctor or a lawyer. There was never a question in my mind.”
Kaplan made that dream come true in 1983 when she began her seven-year career on the WTA Tour.
Kaplan’s prominence cuts across many of the connecting fibers of Macon tennis, starting with her junior career. From 1971-80, she was ranked No. 1 singles and doubles in USTA Southern and Georgia 13 times, competing in the Girls’ 10s through Women’s Open. At Stratford Academy, she was a three-time high school state champion in basketball as an All-State and All-Star player.
She didn’t too bad in tennis, either, going undefeated in singles and doubles (156-0) throughout her five-year career. Kaplan received Stratford’s 1979 Best Senior Athlete award and was named the 1977 Amateur Athlete of the Year presented by the Macon Sports Hall of Fame as a sophomore. She was nominated as Best Athlete of the Decade by The Macon Telegraph, eight years after they ran that photo of her as a ball person.
Four decades later, the academy’s tennis center was named after Kaplan. The Jaime Kaplan Tennis Center has served as the site of the Macon Pro Circuit tournament as well as several state, sectional and national tournaments. She had an outstanding collegiate career, winning the SEC doubles title at the University of Georgia in 1981. Next stop was Florida State, where she was a singles champion and two-time doubles titlist in the Metro Conference. She was the first FSU player to qualify for the NCAA championships.
Over the next seven years, Kaplan appeared in 14 Grand Slam tournaments including five times at Wimbledon. In 1988 she reached the Wimbledon round of 16 in mixed doubles. She won five WTA doubles crowns, teaming with Jill Hetherington for her biggest victory and with Iva Budarova defeated two top 10 singles players in doubles, the Maleeva sisters, Katerina and Manuela.
Kaplan’s highest rankings were No. 91 in doubles and No. 252 in singles until a knee injury cut short her career in 1989.
Randy Stephens, a former USTA Southern President who was inducted into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014, said, “Jaime Kaplan’s accomplishments and contributions to tennis cross a wide spectrum. In addition to an outstanding junior and collegiate career, she played professional tennis at the highest level. After her playing career, she worked as a successful teaching professional and is one of the most successful high school coaches in the history of Georgia tennis.
“After becoming the head tennis coach at Stratford in 2005, her no-cut tennis teams have won 46 area/region titles and 17 state championships,” Stephens continued. “Also, she developed a celebrity golf tournament that has raised over $9,000,000 for local charities in Middle Georgia over the past 30 years. Her influence through tennis in Macon is unmatched. She is a shining star in our community.”
Over the past 30 years, she serves or has served on over a dozen nonprofit boards and in 2011 filled an unexpired term for six months on Macon’s City Council.
Kaplan has battled numerous injuries and surgeries. But, in 2009, she faced her biggest hurdle. She was diagnosed with extramedullary acute myeloid leukemia (AML). She cited the support of her high school players as helping her recover. Kaplan has served as Stratford’s head tennis coach from 2005 to present.
She is the former Alumni Director and Major Gifts Coordinator for Stratford. Currently, she is the Director of Philanthropy at United Way of Central Georgia and Manager of the Five Star Kevin Brown Russell Henley Celebrity Classic.
A notable volunteer honor – the USTA Eve Kraft Award – came her way in 2008. “Eve Kraft was a dedicated community tennis pioneer who was the original architect of how to grow the game at the grassroots level, making tennis accessible for anyone who wants to play,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, USTA National Campus. “Jaime Kaplan is a passionate, hands-on volunteer. She’s cut from the same cloth as Eve and we are proud to honor her with this award.”
Her honors and accomplishments include:
- Reached world rankings of No. 91 in doubles and No. 252 in singles
- Won five WTA doubles crowns
- Went undefeated in singles and doubles in five years of high school play
- Previously inducted into four halls of fame: USTA Georgia Tennis (2006), Georgia Sports (2005), Macon Sports (2001) and Stratford Academy Athletic (2004)
- Won the SEC doubles title at the University of Georgia in 1981
- Metro Conference 1983 singles champion and two-time doubles titlist while playing at Florida State
- Ranked No. 1 singles and doubles in USTA Southern and Georgia 13 times
- Honored with the USTA Eve Kraft Award in 2008
- Stratford Academy’s tennis center is named the Jaime Kaplan Tennis Center