Induction Year: 2016

 

Sue Bramlette got a late start in tennis, but has made up for that with her passion for competition, teaching, and organizing tournaments. Starting at age 32, Sue was taught by Texas Tennis Hall of Famer Jim Parker. After only five years of mentorship, in 1987 Sue won her first national title and also became certified by the USPTA. As a member of the Houston Racquet Club pro staff, Sue set learning objectives for age-appropriate tennis instruction from peewee level through high school. She coached young juniors at HTA Excellence Camps, USTA Junior Development Camps, and served as the McKinley Cup coach for Texas 12s. Bramlette received the HTA Samson Award in 1994 as a result of site directing numerous junior tournaments, serving from 1992-1994 as tournament director for the USTA Zonals, and writing “Entering Junior Tennis,” a booklet for parents. Bramlette’s daughter Christie benefited from these efforts, receiving a full tennis scholarship to the University of Virginia.

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Concurrently, Bramlette excelled in both singles and doubles in Texas Section tournaments, won numerous USTA balls, was captain of the Texas Intersectional team (1995-2012 and 2015 until present), was 3-time USPTA National Player of the Year (35, 45, and 55), and represented the USTA on the Alice Marble Cup and the Kitty Godfree Cup teams. In 2015 Bramlette was named Player of the Year by Les Grande Dames.

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From 2007-2009, Bramlette served as President of the National Senior Women’s Tennis Association and has been Membership Director since then. Since 2004, Sue has been tournament director of the USTA National Senior Women’s Clay Court Championships. She has raised the funds necessary to make this the most popular senior women’s national championship in the U.S.

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Bramlette has dedicated her energies to a body of work dedicated to the propagation and development of Texas tennis and is honored to be in the 2016 class of the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame.