PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. – The Southern Tennis Foundation (STF), the charitable affiliate of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Southern Section, announced the induction of former Duke women’s tennis head coach Jane Preyer into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame.
Preyer was inducted alongside Manuel Diaz and Keith Richardson.
“Jane Preyer is the epitome of sportsmanship and character,” said Debbie Southern, USTA Southern Junior Competition Chair. “Jane was my role model growing up in NC tennis. I was always impressed with her talents and skills as a tennis player, but also her sportsmanship and character. Jane never put winning over integrity. Other players on the pro tour felt the same way about Jane. I can attest to the sportsmanship and character Jane instilled in her Duke teams as I coached against her during her career. Jane’s teams always fought hard and played with integrity and respect for their opponents. Jane instilled character and sportsmanship in all her young players.”
Preyer played on the WTA Tour from 1978-83 and climbed to No. 43 in the world. She made appearances at the US Open, French Open and Australian Open. She also reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 1982. Preyer earned wins over some of the world’s best players – Evonne Goolagong, Manuela Maleeva, Sue Barker and Betty Stove – and extended Billie Jean King to three sets at the Australian Open, while competing against Chris Evert in US Open doubles.
After an elbow injury ended her professional career, Preyer returned home to North Carolina and began her coaching career at Page High School in Greensboro, N.C., where she guided the 1984 girls’ tennis team to a state championship title. She also served as a volunteer coach for UNC Greensboro.
Preyer took over the Duke women’s tennis program in 1985 and served as the head coach for six years. Under her guidance, the Blue Devils won four ACC Championships and she collected ACC Coach of the Year accolades four times. She totaled a 120-45 record at the helm of the Blue Devils tennis program for a 72.7 winning percentage.
She was also inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991.
Preyer currently serves on the boards for the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), Earthshare N.C., and NC Environmental Defense Fund. She has also previously served on the board of the North…
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