Tennis was always a family affair in the Washington clan.
Before and after school, Mali-Vai Wahington and his three tennis siblings – Micheala, Mashiska, and Mashona – could be found on Court 10 at Genesee Valley Tennis Club working on their games.
Family patriarch Bill Washington would hit ball after ball to his children and demand only the best from them.
“Going through it, it seemed tougher than it really was,” Mali-Vai said. “That is what we did as a family and that is what allowed us to succeed.”
The work ethic Mali-Vai Wahington developed during his youth allowed him to become one of the top players in the world.
“You have to put in the time,” said Washington, who also trained at the Flint Tennis Club. “We know what it means to work hard.”
After a standout junior career, Wahington competed for two years at the University of Michigan.
The former Carman-Ainsworth High student led the Wolverines to a third-place finish at the NCAA tournament in 1988, and in 1989 he finished the season as the No. 1-ranked college player in the nation.
He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1988 and Player of the Year in 1989. He earned All-American honors in both seasons. He became a polished player (in college),” GVTC owner Nick Logan said. “He had an all-court game and his backhand was tremendous. He probably had as strong a work ethic as any player I’ve ever seen.”
Establishing himself as one of the elite players in the professional ranks was a challenge. Not only was the competition tougher, but it can be expensive to play on the ATP Tour.
Wahington had to get a $5,000 loan from his parents before he played in his first international tournament in South America. Fortunately, he played well enough to pay off the loan.
“Tennis isn’t like basketball or football, where you’re the No. 1 player and you have a large contract waiting for you.” To establish yourself (in tennis) you have to win. And win he did.
Washington was named Tennis magazine’s Rookie of the Year in 1990. He was ranked as high as No. 11 in the world in 1993, and his finest moment came in becoming the first African-American male since Arthur Ashe to reach the finals of Wimbledon in 1996.
Washington retired in 1999 because of a knee injury. He posted a career record of 254-184 and earned nearly $3.5 million of prize money. Currently, he runs a realty company in Florida, and spends time with his family; wife Jennifer, and their two children, Noah and Zeta.
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