Chris Evert honored with main court at renovated Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale
A rush of nostalgia hit tennis legend Chris Evert as she prepared to head to Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale on Monday morning for the ribbon cutting and dedication of the stadium court named in her honor at the Jimmy Evert Tennis Center.
Officials from the Orange Bowl Committee, City of Fort Lauderdale, and U.S. Tennis Association were on hand to reopen the facility after a $9.5 million renovation.
They also kicked off this year’s edition of the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships, the junior tournament that moved to the venue after 11 years at the Veltri Tennis Center in Plantation.
The renovation includes 20 state-of-the-art clay courts, a new 700-seat stadium court named in honor of Evert and infrastructure upgrades. Funding came from a $1.5 million legacy gift from the Orange Bowl and the City of Fort Lauderdale’s commitment of approximately $8 million.
“When I was growing up, my parents created such a world of opportunity for me and my siblings at Holiday Park,” Evert, 70, told the Miami Herald. “It’s wasn’t all about tennis. It was about having a safe haven to go to after school. My Dad brought us all over there after school so he could keep an eye on us. It wasn’t to create champions.
“We made friendships. We played cards. We played chess. We played checkers. We went across the street and threw a football. We had mentors. It was really a magical place to go to after school.”
For 49 years, Chris’ father, Jimmy Evert, served as the head tennis pro at Holiday Park, a public facility where he trained his own five children and many other future professionals, including Jennifer Capriati, Brian Gottfried and Harold Solomon.
The City of Fort Lauderdale renamed Holiday Park’s tennis facility the Jimmy Evert Tennis Center in 1997.
“He had five kids, and we were of modest means and I asked him `Why did you start us all on tennis and going to Holiday Park every afternoon and he said, `To keep you kids off the streets,’’’ Evert said.
“I developed friendships there. Laurie Fleming was my best friend. Carrie Fleming was Jeanne’s [Evert’s late sister’s] best friend. John Kennedy was John Evert’s best friend. We learned how to compete and how to work as a team. And we were always safe. And not even talking about the benefits of exercise, which was awesome.
“It was like going to camp every afternoon. It became the mecca of tennis in the ‘70s. There was no other place like it for junior tennis.”
Evert recalled that there were seven teenagers from Holiday Park that played at Wimbledon during that era: Solomon, Gottfried, the Flemings, the Evert sisters and Lele Forood.
“He’d drop us off at school at quarter of eight, and he’d go to Holiday Park,” Evert recalled. “He gave lessons, signed up people for courts. He strung rackets. He did everything. Moms would come over with their kids.
“I owe it all to my Dad. I am very happy they’re dedicating the center court to me, but at the end of the day, it’s all about Jimmy Evert, and that is what I am most proud of. Every time I go there, I am thankful that they remember my Dad and still honor him.”
She also is delighted that the Orange Bowl international junior tournament relocated to Holiday Park. The alumni list of the event includes Evert, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Jim Courier, Roger Federer and Coco Gauff.
“For the Orange Bowl to be [at Jimmy Evert Tennis Center] is great because it was the greatest junior tennis tournament in the world for me growing up,” Chris Evert said. “I got see kids from Spain, from South America, from England. This opened up a whole world to see how kids played from all over the world. That was an education and great tennis experience for me and all the American players. For OB to put its stamp on that facility and make that commitment, that’s a big deal to me.”
Tracy Davies, general manager of USA Tennis, added:
“For nearly eight decades, the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships has played a critical role in developing the sport’s future stars, including a number of the greatest American champions. We are incredibly grateful for the investment made by the Orange Bowl Committee and the City of Fort Lauderdale, which will give these future champions access to a world-class facility befitting the event’s prestigious history.”
“Our partnership with the City of Fort Lauderdale and the USTA on this historic renovation represents a shared vision for the future of tennis in South Florida,” said Henri Crockett, Orange Bowl Committee President & Chair. “The Jimmy Evert Tennis Center has a storied history of developing champions, and with these world-class enhancements, we are proud to relocate the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships here. This investment is a commitment to the legacy of this sport and the community that embraces it.”
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 2:58 PM.