CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The South Carolina Tennis Foundation announced on Monday that Jean Evans and Shelby Rogers will be inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, Class of 2024.

They say both women have had a long-lasting impact on tennis in South Carolina through their strong play and passion for the sport.

Shelby Rogers, who now lives in Pompano Beach, FL, was born and raised in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

Growing up in South Carolina, Rogers saw great success in tennis from an early age. She won five South Carolina Palmetto Championship Singles titles (10U, 12U, 14U, and 16U twice), as well as a Palmetto Championship Doubles title (18U), all before turning 15 years old. Her time playing as a top ranked junior in South Carolina and throughout the South prepared her well for the journey ahead. In 2010, she competed in Indian Harbour, Florida’s 50k Pro Event, where she took the leap to the professional level. After that, she won the SMASH Junior Cup, which awarded her with a Wild Card into the qualifying draw of the Family Circle Cup, a WTA Tour event, where she had been a ball kid just a few years earlier.

Shelby went on to win the 2010 USTA Girls’ National Championship (18U), an honor many greats such as Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Jennifer Capriati, and Lindsay Davenport had won in prior years. Shelby was also awarded the Maureen Connelly Brinker Award for overall achievement and sportsmanship. With that victory and award, she received a Wild Card into the Main Draw of the 2010 US Open. As an advocate for tennis in South Carolina, she helped lead a successful rally cry for Charleston to be named the #1 Best Tennis Town in America by USTA.

From the time she turned pro, Rogers career has included a WTA ranking as high as #30 in the World. She has been a quarterfinalist at both the US and French Opens and reached the Round of 16 at the Australian Open. She has also represented the USA in the Fed Cup. She has wins over Simona Halep, Serena Williams, Ash Barty, Petra Kvitova and Elena Rybakina.

The SC Tennis Foundation says Rogers’ success as a player and tennis ambassador has certainly helped propel the growth of tennis throughout the Charleston area and the state of South Carolina. They added in a release that while Rogers no longer lives in Charleston, the Lowcountry will always be where she got her start.

Jean C. Evans, currently of Cambridge MA, made an indelible mark on tennis in South Carolina. Known as one of the all-time best high school, junior and collegiate tennis players to come out of the state, Jean, who grew up in Belton, played most of her tennis prior to the “Open Era” when amateurs ruled the sport. In fact, she is one of the few South Carolinians to win the singles division in the prestigious National Jaycee Tournament.

Rogers and Evans will be the 78th and 79th inductees into the SC Tennis Hall of Fame. Their achievements will be celebrated on November 23rd at the Sonesta Resort on Hilton Head Island, during USTA South Carolina’s Annual Meeting Weekend.

The South Carolina Tennis Foundation is the sister organization and charitable arm of USTA South Carolina. SCTF strives to enhance the lives of South Carolinians through tennis programs, grants and scholarships, while preserving statewide tennis history in the SC Tennis Hall of Fame.

The SC Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Belton and celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to tennis in South Carolina. Induction into the Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed upon those who have left a lasting impact on the sport through their achievements, dedication, and sportsmanship.

For more information about the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame and updates regarding the induction ceremony, please visit www.sctpf.org

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.