Venus, Serena Williams cut ribbon on $18M renovations at Southeast Tennis Center

Venus and Serena Williams speak at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the

newly renovated Southeast Tennis and Learning Center.

The carpet was red, the ceremonial ribbon was stretched taut, the patrons and dignitaries were decked out in dark suits and designer dresses — and the star attraction was running late. At 5:30 p.m. Friday, precisely the appointed time for the ribbon-cutting at the newly renovated Southeast Tennis and Learning Center in Ward 8, an announcement came: “Serena is about 20 minutes out.”

The ribbon-cutting would wait for Serena Williams. The assembled celebrants, though shivering in the cold, nonetheless cut her some slack. If there is one thing that unites D.C. residents, it is an understanding of the folly of trying to get from Point A to Point B at rush hour on a Friday evening.

Finally, at 6:05 p.m., Williams arrived at the Mississippi Ave. facility, slipped through a side door, then re-emerged on the red carpet a few minutes later with her sister, Venus — who had arrived early — and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray. Together, they sliced through the red ribbon with a giant pair of scissors as cameras flashed and a crowd of several hundred chilly but well dressed onlookers cheered.

The ceremony and gala event marked the public unveiling of the expanded and enhanced center, which now features a 48,000-square-foot, six-court indoor facility — named Williams Arena, after the sibling champions who have been supporters since the center opened in 2001. 

“We knew we wanted to be here and support it,” Serena Williams said during a brief news conference following the ribbon-cutting. “Putting our names on something like this really means everything to us. It reminds us of all the times we worked hard when we were younger and how it all pays off.” 

As the curtain fell away to reveal the arena’s name, the Williams sisters beamed and hugged Gray, and as the crowd pressed in close, someone shouted, “We love you!” Standing nearby was mayor-elect Muriel Bowser. It was Gray’s administration that funded the $18 million renovation project through an earmark and a grant.

Venus Williams, second from left, and Serena Williams, center,

founder Cora Masters Barry and Mayor Vincent Gray cut the ribbon

to unveil the renovated Southeast facility

“It was absolutely the right thing to do, to be able to put $18 million into this center, to open doors to children that normally wouldn’t be open,” Gray said. “Children on this side of the city should have the same opportunity . . . as children on the west side of the city.” 

Venus Williams, who also plays part-time for the Washington Kastles of World Team Tennis, designed the interior of the center’s new wing — full of clean lines and bright colors — through her design firm, V Starr Interiors.

“Those are our babies,” said Cora Masters Barry, the founder and chairman of the center, gesturing towards the Williams sisters. “They’ve supported us since day one.”

Barry and the center’s other leaders hope the renovation project will push the facility into the sport’s big leagues, with George Washington University’s teams slated to play their home matches there this season and discussions underway with the U.S. Tennis Association to stage regional and perhaps even national championships there, as well as training sessions for coaches. In addition to the indoor facility, the center will include seven outdoor courts, scheduled to be completed by next summer. 

The Williams sisters, who grew up in Compton, Calif., spoke of the mission they share with the Southeast center — introducing the game of tennis to children and using the sport as a vehicle for “enthusiasm and positivity,” as Venus Williams put it.

According to Barry, the center has served more than 10,000 youth since it opened in 2001 and has sent more than 30 kids to college who otherwise would not have attended it. 

“If you have the opportunity to help one child,” Serena Williams said, “it makes all the difference in the world.”