Greenville & Daniel Island, SC
Inducted December 2017
STEVE ZALINSKI, A NATIVE OF CHICAGO, HAS BEEN A DEDICATED ADVOCATE OF THE SPORT OF TENNIS FOR MANY YEARS AND HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO GROW THE GAME AND ENCOURAGE GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP THROUGH EDUCATION AND MARKETING.
HE WAS AN OUTSTANDING PLAYER AND COACH:
- BORN INTO A TENNIS FAMILY; BOTH HIS PARENTS WERE RANKED NUMBER 1 DURING THE 1930’S AND HE LEARNED THE VALUE OF SPORTSMANSHIP FROM HIS MOTHER.
- EARNED A SCHOLARSHIP TO PLAY TENNIS FOR DEPAUL UNIVERSITY AND AN INDUCTEE IN THEIR ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME.
- THE NUMBER ONE RANKED PLAYER IN CHICAGO SEVERAL TIMES IN THE 1960’S AND 1970’S.
- WON THE 1981 USTA NATIONAL PARKS SINGLES AND DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS.
- SERVED AS HEAD TENNIS PROFESSIONAL AT THE LAKE FOREST CLUB IN LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS, WHERE HE MET HIS WIFE KATHY.
- SERVED AS MANAGER AND DIRECTOR OF THE MID TOWN TENNIS CLUB, THE WORLD’S LARGEST INDOOR TENNIS CLUB.
ZALINSKI AND HIS FAMILY MOVED TO SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1992 WHEN HE BECAME THE VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES FOR DUNLOP, A POSITION HE HELD FOR 18 YEARS. HE SOON MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN THE STATE’S TENNIS COMMUNITY WHERE HE:
- WORKED WITH THE PALEMETTO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BELTON TO CONTINUE DUNLOP’S SUPPORT OF THE TOURNAMENT AND ENHANCE AND IMPROVE THE DUNLOP SCHOLARSHIP.
- COACHED MANY JUNIOR PLAYERS, INCLUDING HIS THREE DAUGHTERS, TO TOP STATE, SECTIONAL AND NATIONAL RANKINGS. EACH DAUGHTER RECEIVED A SCHOLARSHIP TO PLAY COLLEGE TENNIS.
- VOTED THE “THE NICEST MALE” IN THE TENNIS INDUSTRY BY TENNIS WEEK MAGAZINE IN 1999..
FOLLOWING HIS RETIREMENT FROM DUNLOP IN 2007 STEVE BECAME THE TENNIS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE FOR SOUTH CAROLINA, A POSITION HE HELD FOR 10 YEARS. DURING THIS TIME HE WAS AND ADVOCATE OF 10-AND-UNDER TENNIS PROGRAMMING AND THE IMPACT INVOLVING YOUNGER PLAYERS IN THE SPORT WILL HAVE ON THE FUTURE OF TENNIS. OUTSIDE OF HIS JOB HE VOLUNTEERED COUNTLESS HOURS AT ALL LEVELS OF TENNIS TOURNAMENTS, SCHOOLS, PARKS AND PROGRAMS, INCLUDING:.
- THE PALMETTO CHAMPIONSHIPS, THE STATE JUNIOR QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT IN BELTON, WHERE HE SERVES AS THE SITE DIRECTOR FOR THE 10U DIVISIONS..
- SPECIAL POPULATIONS, WHEELCHAIR AND ADAPTIVE TENNIS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND THE SOUTH.
- THE VOLVO CAR OPEN (FORMERLY THE FAMILY CIRCLE CUP) WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL TOURNAMENT.
- THE LOWCOUNTRY TENNIS ASSOCIATION, WHERE HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD.
STEVE HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED WITH A NUMBER OF AWARDS FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SPORT:
- 1996 USTA SOUTH CAROLINA TENNIS FAMILY OF THE YEAR.
- 2002 HONORARY CHAIRMAN OF THE PALMETTO CHAMPIONSHIPS.
- 2011 USTA SOUTHERN MARILYN SHERMAN SPIRIT AWARD.
- 2016 USTA SOUTH CAROLINA SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD FOR HIS MANY YEARS OF SERVICE AND EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO TENNIS IN THE STATE.
STEVE ZALINSKI KNOWS MANY PEOPLE IN THE TENNIS WORLD AND TREATS EVERYONE EQUALLY. HE ENCOURAGES THE IMPORTANCE OF FUN AND GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP AND ABIDES BY THE RULE THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS DURING A MATCH, YOU ALWAYS LOOK YOUR OPPONENT IN THE EYE WHEN YOU SHAKE THEIR HAND.
