Rodney
Harmon
Male
United States of America
1961-08-16
Richmond VA, United States of America
He was ATA Men’s Singles Champion in 1978 and he won the USTA Nat’l Boy’s Doubles champion in 1979.
He was the USTA Nat’l Boys Clay Court Doubles Champion with Mike DePalmer in 1979.
He was NCAA Doubles Champion of 1980 with Mel Purcell representing the University of Tennessee. He was transferred to Southern Methodist University, where he was an All-American (1982, 1983) and two-time Southwest Conference singles champion.
He graduated from SMU with a degree in Broadcast/Film Arts.
He was the first Black Coach of the Men’s US Olympic Team.
He reached the ¼ finals of Wimbledon in 1980. He was the first African-American man since Arthur Ashe to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open, an accomplishment Harmon achieved as an amateur in 1982 before losing to eventual champion Jimmy Connors.
Rodney was the first Black Director of Mens Tennis in the USTA High Performance Program. Before serving in this position, Harmon was the USTA's Director of Multicultural Development, in which he developed strategies and implemented initiatives to increase the diversity of national tennis programs in all communities and aided minority coaches and players in their tennis development.
1978 - 1985
2
59
36
1981 - United States 2 Satellite - Leg 2 (Open)
1978 - American Tennis Association Championships (Open)
Round 1
Robert Seguso 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-4
6-3
6-0
Round 1
Marko Ostoja 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-4
7-6
Round 1
Darren Cahill 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-7
1-6
6-4
7-6
6-2
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Emilio Angel Sanchez
7-6
6-3
4-6
5-7
6-3
Round 2
John McEnroe 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-1
6-3
7-5
Round 1
Stefan Simonsson 1 *
Rodney Harmon
4-6
6-3
4-6
7-6
6-2
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Robbie Venter
6-2
6-3
3-6
7-6
Round 2
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Brad D. Drewett
6-2
6-4
6-4
Round 3
Kevin Curren 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-4
7-5
6-2
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
John R. Austin
4-6
6-4
4-6
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Gianni Ocleppo 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-3
6-2
6-4
Round 1
Bill Scanlon 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-7
6-3
6-3
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Rolf Gehring
4-6
6-0
7-5
6-2
Round 2
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Henrik Sundstrom
6-4
6-2
2-3
Retired
Round 3
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Scott Davis
3-6
6-4
6-4
7-6
Round 4
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Eliot Teltscher
6-4
4-6
6-3
3-6
7-6
Quarterfinals
Jimmy Connors 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-1
6-3
6-4
Round 1
Nduka Odizor 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-7
6-3
7-6
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
David Siegler
6-4
6-4
Round 2
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Mario Martinez
6-1
6-4
Round 3
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Raul Ramirez
6-3
7-5
Quarterfinals
Ivan Lendl 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-1
6-1
Round 1
Derek Tarr 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-4
6-3
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Vincent Van Patten
7-6
6-4
Round 2
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Leo Palin
6-4
6-2
Quarterfinals
Terry Moor 1 *
Rodney Harmon
7-6
7-5
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Danny Flanagan
6-2
6-4
Round 2
Zan Guerry 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-3
6-4
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Christopher Wolff
6-2
6-1
Round 2
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Geoff MacDonald
7-6
6-2
Round 3
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Jeff Papell
6-1
2-6
6-1
Round 1
Mel Purcell 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-4
6-1
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Ross Case
4-6
6-4
6-1
Round 2
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Van Alan Winitsky
4-6
6-3
6-3
Quarterfinals
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Ernie Fernandez
6-3
6-4
Semifinals
Gene Mayer 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-3
6-0
Final
Rodney Harmon 1 *
David Siegler
6-2
6-2
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Mike Davidson
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Charles (Buzz) Strode
6-3
6-2
Round 3
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Matthew (Matt) McDonald
6-2
6-1
Quarterfinals
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Alan Waldman
7-6
6-3
Semifinals
Juan Nunez 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-1
6-4
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Greg Amaya
6-4
6-1
Round 2
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Charles (Buzz) Strode
7-6
7-5
Quarterfinals
Alan Waldman 1 *
Rodney Harmon
3-6
6-1
6-1
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Ricardo Cano
1-6
6-2
7-5
Round 2
Jimmy Connors 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-0
6-1
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
John Steel
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Drew Gitlin
2-6
6-2
6-4
Round 3
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Glenn Michibata
0-6
6-4
7-5
Round 4
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Ronald J. (Ron) Hightower
6-2
7-6
Quarterfinals
Ernie Fernandez 1 *
Rodney Harmon
1-6
7-6
6-4
Round 1
Roberto Vizcaino 1 *
Rodney Harmon
7-6
6-4
Round 1
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Marcel Freeman
7-6
2-6
7-6
Round 2
Jose Luis Clerc 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-3
6-4
Round 1
Mark Turpin 1 *
Rodney Harmon
6-1
6-2
Quarterfinals
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Joe Ragland
6-1
6-4
Semifinals
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Maurice Hunter
6-4
6-1
Final
Rodney Harmon 1 *
Jesse Holt
6-1
6-2
6-4